Surface area boost for small heat exchanger

This is the claim of a team led by engineers from Glasgow University whose design exploits the unique properties of microscale surfaces to create a high-performance heat exchanger.

Heat exchangers, which transfer thermal energy between fluids, are used in refrigeration, fuel cells and the types of internal combustion engines used in cars and aircrafts.

In a new paper published in Applied Thermal Engineering, the researchers describe how they developed and built the prototype system, which they estimate to be 50 per cent more effective than a market-leading conventional heat exchanger despite being one-tenth of its size.

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According to Glasgow University, the system’s effectiveness is attributed to the design of architected surfaces over which liquids flow through the exchanger. The cube-shaped exchanger draws water through a core studded with tiny holes arranged in a gyroid configuration.