ICME Method for Additively Manufacturing Electronic Heat Exchangers

The proposed program will develop an integrated computational material engineering (ICME) toolbox that can enable improved heat exchangers (HX) designs by utilizing the design and manufacturing flexibility offered by use of additive manufacturing (AM). To accomplish this goal Faraday has composed a team of experts in AM (NC State and CalRAM), non-destructive evaluations (NDE) analysis (UC), ICME preparation techniques (UES, Inc.), and surface finishing (Faraday). In Phase I, the team will design, build, evaluate, finish, and apply ICME methodologies to establish the efficacy of an AM approach to produce HX components. Processing parameters for developing the ICME toolbox including test vehicles to improved AM process control, surface finish, and NDE analysis techniques, will be considered. It is envision that the Phase I base program will provide an excellent launching point into the Phase I option and the Phase II period such that the process can be further optimized toolbox that can be tested within the Phase II program. This knowledge could enable commercialization of AM technologies through any number of OEMs within the defense, energy, and aerospace industrial sectors due to their desire to reduce material costs, decrease labor content, and increase availability of parts at point of use.