A process for producing a composite. The process may include providing a cooling plate through which a temperature-control fluid is flowable, providing a structural component that is coolable via the cooling plate, and fixing and thermal coupling the cooling plate and the structural component to one another via full-surface adhesive bonding the cooling plate and the structural component to one another. Full-surface adhesive bonding the cooling plate and the structural component to one another may include arranging an adhesive in a joint disposed between the cooling plate and the structural component.

A method for additively manufacturing a microstructure from a caloric material includes providing a geometry of the microstructure to a processor of an additive manufacturing device, the geometry defining a plurality of microfeatures of the microstructure. The method also includes generating, via the processor, a three-dimensional (3D) model representative of the geometry of the microstructure, wherein one or more of the plurality of microfeatures are represented in the 3D model by a non-arcuate profile. Further, the method includes printing, via the additive manufacturing device, the microstructure from the caloric material according to the 3D model. As such, the non-arcuate profile reduces a file size of the 3D model as compared to an arcuate profile.

A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger array that includes stacking a plurality of heat exchanger units in an aligned configuration with respective first ports of the plurality of heat exchanger units aligned. The method can further include generating heat in the first coupling elements at the same time and at a temperature sufficient to generate a first plurality of respective couplings between adjacent sheets of adjacent heat exchanger units about adjacent first ports and without a coupling being generated between the first and second sheets of a given heat exchanger unit.

A method for forming a hybrid heat exchanger is provided. The method includes laser-texturing a metal surface to create a plurality of microstructures and subsequently melt-bonding a plastic component to the plurality of microstructures. During melt-bonding, plastic material penetrates the plurality of microstructures and conforms to the plastic component to the metal surface. After hardening inside the microstructures, the plastic component adheres to the metal surface as a hybrid component. As a result, a fastener or snap connection is not required, and the plastic-metal joint provides a barrier to water, glycol-based fluids, air, and other fluids.

According to an aspect, a flow path component includes a flow path component body having a flow surface. The flow path component also includes a plurality of antimicrobial nanoparticles embedded in the flow surface and at least partially exposed external to the flow surface to provide an antimicrobial surface.

An additively manufactured component is provided. The additively manufactured component includes an additively manufactured first part defining a first trench, an additively manufactured second part defining a second trench and a fiber optic sensor. The additively manufactured first and second parts are additively manufactured together with the first and second trenches corresponding in position such that the additively manufactured first and second parts form an assembled part with a fiber channel cooperatively defined by the first and second trenches. The fiber optic sensor includes a first sensor part embedded in the fiber channel and a second sensor part operably coupled to the first sensor part and extendible at an exterior of the assembled part.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods and/or apparatuses involving one or more of a conductive polymer, deposition of a conductive polymer and 3D (three-dimensional) printing of a continuous bead of material. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments characterized herein, a 3D structure is formed as follows. A stacked layer is formed by depositing a continuous bead of material along an uninterrupted path that defines a first layer of the 3D structure. A sidewall of the 3D structure is formed with opposing surfaces respectively defined by successive stacked layers of the 3D structure by, for each stacked layer (including the first layer), depositing the continuous bead of material along the path and with a surface thereof in contact with a surface of the continuous bead of material of an adjacent one of the stacked layers.

A method of building a heat exchanger includes forming the heat exchanger with layer-by-layer additive manufacturing. A first hollow annulus is formed. A body of the heat exchanger is formed to be integrally connected to and grown upwards from the first hollow annulus. The body includes an exterior wall and a heat exchanger core disposed within the exterior wall. The body defines an interior that is cylindrically shaped with an axis oriented parallel to a direction of gravity. The first annulus is disposed on a gravitational bottom of the body. A second hollow annulus is formed integrally connected to and grown upwards from a gravitational top of the body. Residual powder is removed from a bottom of the heat exchanger.

A solar collector is provided. The collector comprises a monolithic flow control component to direct a flow of the heat transfer fluid between an inlet and outlet; and a solar absorber supported by the monolithic flow control component. The monolithic flow control component is able to support the solar absorber without any additional structural components to lend mechanical strength to the monolithic flow control component.

A housing for at least one heat-releasing element (100), for example a battery element in an electric vehicle, comprises: a housing wall (200), a holder (300) which is joined to the housing wall (200) for accommodating the at least one heat-releasing element (100) and a cooling body (400) which is arranged on a side of the housing wall (200) opposite the holder (300) and is joined to the housing wall (200).

The housing wall (200), the holder (300) and the cooling body (400) are together present as one-piece component, wherein the cooling body (400) has at least one channel (500) for a cooling medium and at least a subregion of the cooling body (400) consists of a first thermoplastic polymer composition having a thermal conductivity determined in accordance with ASTM E1461-01 of ≥0.2 W/(m K).