Three Way Heat Exchanger

Honeywell wants to create a heat exchanger that is more efficient than the standard tube and fin design by using more than one fluid for heat evacuation. The team’s three-way heat exchanger, which has flow paths for oil and fuel and a cross-flow path for air, is designed for aircraft auxiliary power units operating under normal conditions. The design uses the additive manufacturing process of direct metal laser sintering to lower production times and cost. Features such as turbulators were added after the preliminary design to reduce heat concentrations and overall size. The heat exchanger is smaller than the current tube and fin design. Heat transfer optimization was analyzed by finite element techniques and by conducting experimental tests to verify results.