Diffusion Bonded Aero Heat Exchanger

The Diffusion Bonded Aero Heat Exchanger project will bring new technology to heat exchangers for aeronautical applications. A collaboration including Meggitt Control Systems, Heatric, Precision Micro, S&C Thermofluids, Vacuum Furnace Engineering, and The Open University will develop the technologies required to conduct deep chemical etching of aluminium alloy plates, and to solid-state diffusion bond the etched plates to produce a novel heat exchanger.
Precision Micro will develop deep aluminium etching to produce the required fluid flow patterns and other features; Heatric and The Open University will collaborate to develop industrially viable diffusion bonding methods; S&C Thermofluids will develop modelling and simulation using modern CFD methods for design optimisation; Meggitt Control Systems will design the heat exchanger and validate performance; and Vacuum Furnace Engineering will investigate manufacturing equipment to industrialise the process.