{"id":41400,"key":"Expanded_microchannel_heat_exchanger","title":"Expanded microchannel heat exchanger","latest":{"id":1208939,"timestamp":"2025-11-28T01:11:35Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:Hxclose.png|thumb]]\n\n{{Project data\n| authors = User:J.M.Pearce, David C. Denkenberger, Michael J. Brandemuehl, John Zhai\n| status = Designed, Modelled, Prototyped\n| location = Michigan, USA\n}}\n\n{{Publication data\n| type = Paper\n| cite-as = David C. Denkenberger, Michael J. Brandemuehl, Joshua M. Pearce, and John Zhai, \"Expanded microchannel heat exchanger: design, fabrication and preliminary experimental test\", ''Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers – Part A: Journal of Power and Energy'', '''226''', 532-544 (2012). DOI: [https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0957650912442781 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0957650912442781] [https://www.academia.edu/1604345/Expanded_microchannel_heat_exchanger_design_fabrication_and_preliminary_experimental_test Full text open access]\n}}\n\n{{MOST}}\n\n'''Expanded microchannel heat exchanger: design, fabrication and preliminary experimental test'''\n\nThis paper first reviews non-traditional heat exchanger geometry, [[laser welding]], practical issues with microchannel [[heat exchanger]]s, and high effectiveness heat exchangers. Existing microchannel heat exchangers have low material costs, but high manufacturing costs. This paper presents a new expanded microchannel heat exchanger design and accompanying continuous manufacturing technique for potential low-cost production. Polymer heat exchangers have the potential for high effectiveness. The paper discusses one possible joining method - a new type of laser welding named \"forward conduction welding,\" used to fabricate the prototype. The expanded heat exchanger has the potential to have counter-flow, cross-flow, or parallel-flow configurations, be used for all types of fluids, and be made of polymers, metals, or polymer-ceramic precursors. The cost and ineffectiveness reduction may be an order of magnitude or more, saving a large fraction of primary energy. The measured effectiveness of the prototype with 28 micron thick black low density polyethylene walls and counterflow, water-to-water heat transfer in 2 mm channels was 72%, but multiple low-cost stages could realize the potential of higher effectiveness.\n\n{{Pearce publications notice}}\n\n== See also ==\n\n* [[Design, fabrication, and testing of a polymer expanded heat exchanger for absorption chilling]]\n* [[Experimental Characterization of Heat Transfer in an Additively Manufactured Polymer Heat Exchanger]]\n* [[Towards Low-Cost Microchannel Heat Exchangers: Vehicle Heat Recovery Ventilator Prototype]]\n* [[Open source laser system for polymeric welding]]\n* [[Laser welding protocol: MOST]]\n* [[Open Source Laser Polymer Welding System: Design and Characterization of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Multilayer Welds]]\n* [[Open Source Multi-Head 3D Printer for Polymer-Metal Composite Component Manufacturing]]\n* [[Design Optimization of Polymer Heat Exchanger for Automated Household-Scale Solar Water Pasteurizer]]\n* [[Expanded microchannel heat exchanger: Non-destructive evaluation]]\n* [[Finite Difference Heat Exchanger Model: Flow Maldistribution with Thermal Coupling]]\n* [[Expanded Microchannel Heat Exchanger: Finite Difference Modeling]]\n\n== In the news ==\n\n* Better Heat Exchangers Using Garbage Bags - [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150626130716.htm Science Daily], [https://lockerdome.com/6301844049758273/7799861466629140 Locker Dome], [http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/06/better-heat-exchangers-using-garbage-bags R&D Magazine]\n* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160106192351/http://www.mumbaimirror.com/others/sci-tech/Garbage-bags-could-make-power-plants-more-efficient/articleshow/47871516.cms Garbage bags could make power plants more efficient] - Mumbai Mirror (a daily circulation of approximate 700,000).\n* [https://www.kaltra.com/single-post/2018/04/09/microchannel-heat-exchangers Microchannel Heat Exchangers as an Advanced Alternative to Traditional HVAC Coils]\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| part-of = MOST completed projects and publications\n| keywords = Energy conservation, Heat exchangers, microchannel heat exchanger, Energy efficiency\n| sdg = SDG09 Industry innovation and infrastructure\n| authors = User:J.M.Pearce\n| published = 2012\n| organizations = MOST, MTU\n| description = What are expanded microchannel heat exchangers? Appropedia explores their design and energy efficiency in experiments.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Heat exchangers]]\n[[Category:Energy efficiency]]"}