Enhancing Flow and Heat Transfer Control via Hybrid Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Heat Exchangers

Abstract Heat exchangers are essential for efficient heat management in industrial systems, and require the development of high-performance designs. Additive manufacturing expands design possibilities by enabling the creation of complex structures. Triple Periodic Minimum Area (TPMS) structures offer excellent thermal-hydraulic properties, making them an ideal choice for advanced thermal management solutions. In this study, a hybrid approach was applied to TPMS structures to design heat exchangers with controlled thermal and hydraulic properties. Hybridization of three unit cells, TPMS, FKS, FRD and Diamond, which have shown superior thermal and hydraulic performance in previous research, was used to create six hybrid heat exchangers. For comparison, standard TPMS heat exchangers were designed for these unit cells. The research involved an in-depth analysis that combined the examination of fluid flow processes and thermal properties in both standard and hybrid models. Simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent as the computational fluid dynamics tool. The results revealed that the hybridization of TPMS structures effectively bridges the gap between standard TPMS structures, offering intermediate solutions that allow for better control of thermal and hydraulic properties, thus expanding the design options to meet the requirements of various industrial applications.