The heat exchanger will be the next industrialized field. Previously, based on market research on GE patent articles, GE developed a new type of heat exchanger, which was manufactured by 3D printing-additive manufacturing. The heat exchanger includes multiple additive manufacturing methods that result in smaller fluid channel dimensions, thinner walled fluid passages, and intricate shapes that were previously impossible to fabricate using conventional manufacturing methods.

Recently, GE announced that it will cooperate with the University of Maryland and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop the UPHEAT ultra-high performance heat exchanger, and complete the development plan within two and a half years to achieve more efficient energy conversion and lower emissions.

Heat exchanger with bionic structure
The core manufacturing technology of UPHEAT ultra-high performance heat exchanger is 3D printing technology. Operating at a pressure of bar, the thermal efficiency of the supercritical CO2 power cycle is increased by 4%, reducing emissions while increasing power output. This plan is supported by the High Strength Heat Exchange Materials and Manufacturing Process Program (HITEMMP) of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) under the U.S. Department of Energy. High-pressure and ultra-compact heat exchangers enable cleaner, more efficient power generation on existing and next-generation power plant platforms.

The technology’s research team, an interdisciplinary team of world-class experts in high-temperature metal alloys, thermal management, and additive manufacturing, developed the following in collaboration with the University of Maryland and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A generation of heat exchangers that enable advanced applications in power and aviation to achieve increased energy efficiency.

According to GE, this new heat exchanger design will break the efficiency barrier. GE is taking its deep knowledge of metals and thermal management and applying it in ways never before possible. Through the power of 3D printing, GE can now Achieve designs that were previously unmanufacturable with traditional manufacturing processes. Through the 3D printing-additive manufacturing process, GE and the University of Maryland will now explore the design of more complex biomimetic shapes to enable stepwise changes in heat exchanger performance, resulting in higher efficiencies and lower emissions.

It is understood that in power generation equipment, the function of heat exchangers is similar to that of human lungs. The lungs circulate the air the body breathes, allowing the body to perform at peak performance while regulating the body’s temperature. Heat exchangers in power generation equipment like gas turbines perform essentially the same function, although of course these heat exchangers operate under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure.

In terms of materials, this new heat exchanger will utilize a unique high-temperature-resistant, crack-resistant nickel-based superalloy, which is a material designed by the GE research team for the additive manufacturing process. Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use its expertise in corrosion science to test and validate the long-term performance of the material.

After development testing is complete, this heat exchanger will be applied to a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton cycle to reduce energy consumption and emissions. In addition, this high temperature resistant heat exchanger can also be applied to advanced aerospace fields.

The heat exchanger will be the next industrialized field. How much influence and coverage 3D printing will achieve in the industrialization of heat exchangers depends not only on the price of 3D printing equipment and materials, but also on whether the process quality can be consistent and controllable, as well as standards and certifications. The most important thing is how to obtain a positive design breakthrough oriented towards product function realization from the design side.