Advancements in electric and hybrid-electric propulsion have intensified thermal management demands, driven by rising power densities and the need for compact system integration. Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) heat-exchanger structures offer improved heat-transfer capability and mechanical efficiency, positioning them as promising candidates for next-generation aerospace and automotive applications. This study investigates five TPMS geometries, including Gyroid, Primitive, Diamond, Split-P and Lidinoid, that were manufactured in aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg using laser powder bed fusion, combining mechanical fatigue testing, stress-analysis simulations, and life-cycle modelling. Low-cycle fatigue experiments reveal strong geometry-dependent variation in durability, with Split-P and Lidinoid structures demonstrating lifetimes one to two orders of magnitude higher than Gyroid under equivalent loading. Numerical stress analyses confirm these trends by showing significantly lower stress localisation in the best-performing geometries. When integrated into environmental and economic assessments, these fatigue-driven differences translate into substantial variation in replacement frequency, embodied impacts, and lifecycle cost. Overall, the results demonstrate that selecting the appropriate TPMS topology can meaningfully extend component service life, reduce environmental burden, and enhance the viability of additively manufactured thermal systems.
Mathiazhagan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.