The Laser Processing of the Stainless-Steel Surface Layer of a Heat Exchanger Membrane in Order to Enhance Its Heat Transfer Coefficient

Research on temperature regulation is essential for ensuring thermal comfort and optimizing machine performance. Effective cooling systems are critical in industrial processes and everyday electronic devices in order to prevent overheating. Laser-modified heat exchangers can enhance heat dissipation without increasing weight, addressing the need for energy-efficient solutions in the market. The main aim of this experimental research was to establish an efficient method for altering the surface layer of AISI 316L stainless steel with laser pulses and to determine the effectiveness of the laser alterations to the surface layer in the context of intensifying the convective heat transfer. A series of laser-texturing processes was performed on the surface layer of AISI 316L steel using a Nd: YAG pulse laser. Selected samples were subjected to a series of measurements using a recuperator-type heat exchanger. Based on the measurements’ results, the heat transfer coefficients, α, obtained from the modified surfaces were determined. The results were compared with other data from the existing literature and those obtained from unmodified reference samples. The intensification of the convective heat transfer was achieved for 43% of the modifications conducted with a pulsed laser. The highest observed average increase in the heat transfer coefficient, α, was 16.53%. However, the effective intensification of the convective heat transfer, in some cases, was only observed for a certain range of temperatures or flow dynamics parameters.