US-20260126252-A1 - HEAT EXCHANGER WITH WAVEFORM CHANNEL PROFILE

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a wall that has a first end, a second end, a first side that bounds a chamber, and a second side opposite the first side. The first side and the second side extend from the first end to the second end. The wall defines a length direction from the first end to the second end. There is an array of cooling channels embedded in the wall to convey a cooling fluid. Each of the cooling channels defines a flowpath that has a varying circumferential curvature relative an axial direction.

Inventors

• Alan Fung
• Joseph Helali
• Yogesh Aradhey
• Erika Heather Thum

Assignees

• AEROJET ROCKETDYNE, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241106

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A heat exchanger comprising: a wall disposed about a central axis and having a first end, a second end, a first side bounding a chamber, and a second side opposite the first side, the first side and the second side extending from the first end to the second end; and an array of cooling channels embedded in the wall to convey a cooling fluid, each of the cooling channels defining a flowpath that has a varying circumferential curvature relative an axial direction.
2. 2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the varying circumferential curvature has a periodic form.
3. 3 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 2 , wherein the periodic form is sinusoidal.
4. 4 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 2 , wherein the periodic form is non-sinusoidal.
5. 5 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the cooling channels define a flowpath that have a varying radial curvature relative the axial direction.
6. 6 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the cooling channels includes a first section extending from the first end to the second end, a second section extending from the second end to the first end, and a turn section at the second end fluidly connecting the first section and the second section.
7. 7 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 6 , wherein in the wall, the cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other.
8. 8 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the cooling channels defines a channel width, the waveform channel profile defines a period and an amplitude, and a ratio of the amplitude to the channel width is 2:1 or more.
9. 9 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wall is cylindrical.
10. 10 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wall is frustoconical.
11. 11 . The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the cooling channels includes a first section extending from the first end to the second end, a second section extending from the second end to the first end, a turn section at the second end connecting the first section and the second section, the cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other, the cooling channels are of constant cross-section along the length direction from the first end to the second end, each of the cooling channels defines a channel width, the waveform channel profile defines a period and an amplitude, and a ratio of the amplitude to the channel width is 2:1 or more.
12. 12 . An article comprising: a nozzle formed of a wall disposed about a central axis and circumscribing a chamber, the wall having a first axial end, a second axial end, an inner side bounding the chamber, and an outer side opposite the inner side, an array of cooling channels embedded in the wall to convey a cooling fluid in the wall, each of the cooling channels defining a flowpath that has a varying circumferential curvature relative an axial direction.
13. 13 . The article as recited in claim 12 , wherein the cooling channels are circumferentially nested.
14. 14 . The article as recited in claim 12 , wherein the nozzle is a converging-diverging nozzle.
15. 15 . The article as recited in claim 12 , wherein each of the cooling channels includes a first section extending from the first axial end to the second axial end, a second section extending from the second axial end to the first axial end, and a turn section at the second end fluidly connecting the first section and the second section.
16. 16 . The article as recited in claim 15 , wherein in the wall, the cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other.
17. 17 . The article as recited in claim 16 , wherein the cooling channels are of constant cross-section along the length direction from the first end to the second end.
18. 18 . The article as recited in claim 17 , wherein each of the cooling channels defines a channel width, the waveform channel profile defines a period and an amplitude, and a ratio of the amplitude to the channel width is 2:1 or more.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with government support under contract number FA8650-23-C-5709 awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The government has certain rights in the invention. BACKGROUND Rocket motor operation involves very high temperatures that can damage and erode a thrust chamber or nozzle. As a result, a liquid coolant, such as a propellant, is used to cool the chamber and/or nozzle. For example, some or all of the propellant is passed through tubes or channels provided around the chamber and/or nozzle. These passages are created by brazing cooling tubes on the chamber/nozzle or by milling channels along the chamber/nozzle walls, for example. The propellant is often cryogenic and provides effective thermal load management. The heated propellant is then fed into a gas-generator or injected directly into the main combustion chamber. SUMMARY A heat exchanger according to an example of the present disclosure includes a wall disposed about a central axis and having a first end, a second end, a first side bounding a chamber, and a second side opposite the first side. The first side and the second side extend from the first end to the second end. An array of cooling channels is embedded in the wall to convey a cooling fluid. Each of the cooling channels defines a flowpath that has a varying circumferential curvature relative an axial direction. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the varying circumferential curvature has a periodic form. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the periodic form is sinusoidal. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the periodic form is non-sinusoidal. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the cooling channels define a flowpath that have a varying radial curvature relative the axial direction. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the cooling channels includes a first section extending from the first end to the second end, a second section extending from the second end to the first end, and a turn section at the second end fluidly connecting the first section and the second section. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, in the wall, the cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the cooling channels defines a channel width, the waveform channel profile defines a period and an amplitude, and a ratio of the amplitude to the channel width is 2:1 or more. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the wall is cylindrical. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the wall is frustoconical. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the cooling channels includes a first section extending from the first end to the second end, a second section extending from the second end to the first end, and a turn section at the second end connecting the first section and the second section. The cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other. The cooling channels are of constant cross-section along the length direction from the first end to the second end. Each of the cooling channels define a channel width. The waveform channel profile defines a period and an amplitude, and a ratio of the amplitude to the channel width is 2:1 or more. An article according to an example of the present disclosure include a nozzle formed of a wall disposed about a central axis and circumscribing a chamber. The wall has a first axial end, a second axial end, an inner side bounding the chamber, and an outer side opposite the inner side. An array of cooling channels is embedded in the wall to convey a cooling fluid in the wall. Each of the cooling channels defines a flowpath that has a varying circumferential curvature relative an axial direction. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the cooling channels are circumferentially nested. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the nozzle is a converging-diverging nozzle. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the cooling channels include a first section extending from the first axial end to the second axial end, a second section extending from the second axial end to the first axial end, and a turn section at the second end fluidly connecting the first section and the second section. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, in the wall, the cooling channels are fluidly isolated from each other. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the cooling channels are of constant cross-section along the length direction from the first end to the second end. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, each of the cooling channels define a channel width, the waveform channel profile defines a