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microVection, in conjunction with Micro Cooling Concepts, has developed compact heat exchagers based on a laminated foil construction. This approach reduces the core size and weight of liquid/liquid and liquid/air heat exchangers.

Advantages of Laminated Foil Heat Exchangers

  • Improved Thermal Performance
    • Reduced Scale of Passages Yields Higher Heat Transfer Coefficients
    • Large Heat Transfer Area Per Unit Volume
  • Compact Construction
    • 5X Core Depth Reduction Compared to Conventional Concepts
    • 3X Weight Reduction
  • Robust Construction
    • Laminated Foil Heat Exchangers Use a Reinforced, Robust Construction
    • Almost Any Metal Can be Used (Cu, Al, SS, Superalloys, etc.)
    • Structures Can be:
      • Soldered (Low Cost)
      • Brazed (for Aluminum)
      • Diffusion Bonded (Higher Strength, Longer Fatigue Life, Reduced Corrosion Potential)


Heat Exchanger Development Projects

Advanced Integrated Fuel System (1996 - 1999)
microVection & Micro Cooling Concepts designed and fabricated several prototype Inconel 718 and Waspaloy fuel/bleed air heat exchangers for turbine engines. These heat exchangers were designed to operate at extreme temperatures (~ 1000°F) and internal pressures (1300 psi), and had to be packaged in extremely restricted volumes. One of these prototypes was tested for 900 hours at the AFRL Fuels Rig facility, with only minor coking observed on the interior passages.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Heat Exchanger (1992)
microVection employees designed, built and tested a prototype heat exchanger for the Propulsion Engineering Directorate of the Naval Air Warfare Center. The air/engine coolant heat exchanger was designed to cool a 150 HP UAV engine, dissipating 50 HP (3300 Btu/min) of waste heat. Analytic trade studies produced a final design which was 18" x 18" x 0.5", and weighed only 5 lbs. A view of a 3" x 4" prototype version built for NAWC is shown below.

Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle Land Mode Radiator (1991)

microVection employees designed, built and tested a prototype radiator for David Taylor Research Center. The air/engine coolant radiator was sized to reject 28400 Btu/min. The baseline high performance aluminum radiator was 34" x 34" x 6" and weighed 217 lbs; the microVection version had a core depth of only 1.8" and weighed only 70 lbs. Eight subscale prototypes were built and tested, confirming the design calculations.