Thin Foil Heat Exchanger

Makai Ocean Engineering provides custom, high-performance heat exchanger designs and fabrication. Makai has developed a fundamentally new heat exchanger design that we call the Thin Foil Heat Exchanger (TFHX™); it is constructed using novel advanced manufacturing methods.

The TFHX™  can be designed for liquid, air-cooled, vapor-cycle, phase change, or Supercritical CO2 applications. The technology is the result of over 10 years and over $20 million of R&D. Contact us with your need– and let us provide you with a better thermal management solution.

TFHX™ Applications

 Makai has worked with the Office of Naval Research, the United States Army and Air Force, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other commercial partners to develop the ultra-compact TFHX™. The TFHX™ provides superior volumetric performance while maintaining low pressure drops. Consider the TFHX™ when volume and performance matter.

Marine

Air-Cooled

Plants & Processing

Features & Benefits

 The Fundamental Difference:
Makai’s TFHX™ consists of stacked layers of individual proprietary “plates” that together form the heat exchanger core. Manufacturing methods allow for custom non-linear geometries, ultra-compact flow channels, and corrosion resistant materials at dimensions scales from 10 cm to 1 m.

TFHX™ enables high quality control on the material properties, high smoothness, resistance to fouling, and durability; enabling production of micro-channel heat exchanger performance from small to large scale thermal loads.

Commercial Prototype TFHX™ has been operational at commercial algae production pond since 2019.

Key Features

      • Ultra-compact size
      • Conformance to irregular geometries
      • Corrosion resistance
      • Easy maintenance

Performance

      • Significant volumetric performance gain
      • Negligible increase in ΔP
      • Enhanced U-values

Heat Exchanger Facilities

Makai’s advanced manufacturing and testing facility enables rapid prototyping and construction of custom TFHX™ geometries based on specific needs and operating conditions. Test stations are available for different fluids (water, ethylene glycol water (EGW), anhydrous ammonia, other refrigerants, oil, etc.), flow orientations, operating pressures and fatigue simulation.

100 kW Heat Exchanger Test Station

This smaller scale test station enables rapid design, prototyping, and performance and lifetime testing of heat exchangers.

4 MW Heat Exchanger Test Station

Makai’s Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) tower is used to test large-scale heat exchangers up to 4 MW in thermal duty.

Advanced Manufacturing Facility

Makai’s advanced heat exchanger manufacturing facilities allow for rapid production of the TFHX™.

Interested in Makai’s TFHX™?
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Contact us by sending in this form any time you need professional support or have any questions. You can also fill in the form to leave your comments or feedback for Makai’s team.