Numerical and experimental investigation of additive manufactured heat exchanger using triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)

With the increasing demand for high-efficiency compact heat exchangers in automobiles and spacecraft, lighter and more efficient metamaterials hold promise as advanced materials for cooling applications but remain beyond reach. Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures, characterized by their smooth surfaces and significantly huge volumetric surface area, represent ideal internal structures for heat exchangers, and the development of additive manufacturing has made their design and production possible. This study focuses on designing heat exchangers based on seven TPMS structures (Fischer-Koch S, Gyroid, SplitP, Diamond, I-WP, F-RD, Primitive) and prints the finished heat exchangers using AlSi10Mg material based on numerical investigation results. Comprehensive evaluation metrics are used to rank the results. The findings reveal that the internal interleaved channels have varying effects on different structures, with Fischer-Koch S exhibiting the highest heat transfer capability of up to 269 W/K. Gyroid and I-WP demonstrate the best fluidity, with resistance only 23.44 % of Primitive's. Gyroid has the best overall evaluation metrics, with a 54 % efficiency improvement over traditional plate heat exchangers. Additionally, this study proposes the use of the Voronoi algorithm to handle the channels of TPMS and identifies the asymmetric characteristics of heat exchangers on both sides, and it is believed that there is still greater optimization potential for the performance of TPMS heat exchangers.