Comparison of flow characteristics of self-supporting internal channel structures in hydraulic manifolds optimized for additive manufacturing

The design of internal channels in hydraulic components requires a balance between low pressure losses and manufacturability. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers substantial design freedom but introduces challenges related to internal support structures, which are difficult or impossible to remove from enclosed cavities. This study focuses on the optimization of internal flow channels for AM by comparing self-supporting geometries that eliminate the need for internal supports. A total of 12 self-supporting cross-sectional shapes were defined and analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations over a range of volumetric flow rates. Pressure drop (Δp), flow velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation were used as evaluation metrics. The results show that some self-supporting geometries achieved lower pressure losses, indicating their suitability for hydraulic applications. The findings highlight the trade-off between structural printability and flow performance in the AM design space. This work establishes a comparative CFD framework for evaluating self-supporting AM channel cross-sections in hydraulic manifolds and identifies geometry-dependent trade-offs between pressure loss, turbulence dissipation, and manufacturability.