Additive Manufactured Heat Exchangers

What is LPBF and what does additive manufacturing enable?

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an additive metal manufacturing process. Metal powder is fused layer by layer using a laser to form a component. This allows fine flow channels, complex distributor structures, and geometric functions to be integrated directly into the part.

Heat transfer surface area, flow routing, pressure drop, and installation space can be precisely tailored to the specific application.

Advantages of additively manufactured heat exchangers

• High power density: high heat transfer performance within the available installation space

• Integral design: fewer individual parts and joints reduce potential failure points

• High temperatures: for demanding thermal operating conditions in a compact design

• Targeted material use: wall thicknesses and material use can be tailored to the specific application

• Optimized design: complex structures enable application-specific optimization of flow routing and installation space

• Material efficiency: reduced material use and less waste with high-value materials

• Complex geometries: internal flow structures and external shape can be adapted to the application and available space

• Flexible scalability: number and length of channels can be adjusted to performance requirements, and multiple modules can be combined for higher outputs

When is additive manufacturing the right choice for a heat exchanger?

Additive manufacturing offers particular advantages when high heat transfer performance, demanding operating conditions, and limited installation space come together. Complex requirements for flow routing, pressure drop, or geometry can also make a case for LPBF.

However, the specific use case is decisive: ZILONIS approaches every heat transfer task technology-agnostically and selects the technically and economically appropriate solution.

Application areas

Additively manufactured heat exchangers open up new possibilities wherever high heat transfer performance, demanding operating conditions, and limited installation space come together.

• Industry: industrial waste heat recovery (gas-to-gas), micro gas turbine recuperators, fuel cell and reformer peripherals

• Power-to-X: e-fuels, methanation, hydrogen process technology

• Chemicals and petrochemicals: specialty chemicals and process gas

• Research and development: test rigs and research facilities

• Aerospace / defense: temperature control and cooling under extreme conditions