Heat Transfer Characteristics of 3d Printed Heat Exchangers Based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces

Abstract

Triply Period Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) are currently employed in thermal engineering applications widely attributable to their excellent thermal exchange properties. In this investigation, the heat exchange performance of heat exchange equipment based on three TPMS structures, including the Primitive (P), Gyroid (G) and Diamond (D) TPMS structures, and corresponding sheet and solid networks, was evaluated through numerical simulations and experimental tests. The performance measurement of these heat exchangers was conducted by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, including their heat exchange effectiveness, surface heat distribution and pressure drop. The traditional fins exhibited the highest heat dissipation capability under low-speed airflow. The solid TPMS showed a superior thermal performance compared to the sheet TPMS with respect to heat transfer efficiency. The Gyroid structure showed the lowest heat resistance compared with the other solid TPMS structures when the gas velocity was less than 4m/s. Otherwise, the Diamond structure had the highest thermal exchanging efficiency. The CFD results were validated through experiments performed using 3D printed heat exchanging structures. The findings of this research offer practical guidance for designing heat exchangers using TPMS structures and form a basis for further applications of these structures in thermal transferring systems.

Keywords: Triply period minimal surfaces, Heat transfer, 3D printing, computational fluid dynamics