Laser 3D-printed Periodic Porous Structures for Heat Exchangers: A Novel Characterization Approach Under Fully Developed Conditions

Abstract Triple Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) have garnered significant attention in recent years because of their potential for enhancing heat transfer performance. Recent advances in additive manufacturing have made it possible to fabricate these complex geometries, derived from implicit equations. However, accurately characterizing the thermal-hydraulic performance of TPMS remains a challenging task.To address this challenge, this paper proposes a novel approach that leverages periodic boundary conditions to simulate fully developed flow and heat transfer within TPMS. By eliminating the influence of inlet and outlet effects, this method enables a focused analysis of the core region of the structure. This approach offers significant advantages, such as reduced computational cost and improved accuracy in predicting pressure drop and heat transfer coefficients.A case study is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed method to the optimization of gyroid-based heat exchangers. The impact of key geometric parameters, including edge dimension and wall thickness, on the thermal-hydraulic performance is investigated. Additionally, the printability of the proposed designs is considered to ensure practical feasibility.By providing a rigorous framework for characterizing TPMS, this work contributes to the advancement of thermal management technologies and enables the development of highly efficient and innovative heat exchange solutions.