Conflux launched a cartridge heat exchanger Cartridge developed with metal 3D printing technology.
While the company has explored some 3D printing of compact heat exchangers (HX), the development focus has rarely considered customizable or repairable design needs.
The Conflux Cartridge heat exchanger is a complex 3D printing core that can be embedded in a traditionally manufactured part or housing. It is said to offer a higher balance of heat transfer and hydraulic performance in a compact design. The device's embedded heat transfer reduces piping volume, performance impact, and risk. To provide customers with custom application fluid and physical constraints requirements.
Given that the product can meet user needs through scalable and customizable solutions, the company believes that this high-performance 3D printing cartridge heat exchanger will be used in the fields of defense, aerospace, electric vehicles, automotive, industry, and energy in the future. Has a huge commercial market.
About Conflux Cartridge
Thanks to Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology, Conflux says it can 3D print the Cartridge in a scalable, economical way and directly address end-user needs. In practice, this means that the size and performance of the heat exchanger can be set according to the customer's performance priorities, the specific fluids in the system, and the physical constraints of the system.
According to Conflux, the tiny structures and internal geometries within the Cartridge can only be achieved through 3D printing technology, which allows precise control of the surface area ratio of each fluid and optimizes aspects such as heat transfer, turbulence, and pressure drop.
In terms of application, compact high-performance heat exchangers are particularly suitable for those scenarios where frequent and regular maintenance is required, as they can be easily replaced.
●Ease of maintenance, interchangeability, and customization
●Low cost and low weight
●40mm x 40mm x 30mm volume meets packaging requirements
●Heat conductivity 5.7kW
●Keep the pressure drop of the whole heat exchanger less than 45kPa on the oil side and less than 50kPa on the waterside
●Can withstand a working pressure of 600kPa
Conflux is certainly pushing heat exchanger design forward, but it's far from the only company using 3D printing. For example, late last year 3D Metalforge 3D printed heat exchanger parts for Shell. Now installed at Shell's site on Jurong Island, the durability-enhanced components help minimize equipment downtime there.
In the past, companies such as GE Research have also worked with engineers at the University of Maryland and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop a heat exchanger that can withstand temperatures as high as 900°C. The 3D printed device has a unique grape-like geometry that gives it the extreme heat and pressure resistance required to exceed state-of-the-art devices by more than 200°C.