Copper in heat exchangers | EPFL Graph Search

Heat exchangers are devices that transfer heat to achieve desired heating or cooling. An important design aspect of heat exchanger technology is the selection of appropriate materials to conduct and transfer heat fast and efficiently. Copper has many desirable properties for thermally efficient and durable heat exchangers. First and foremost, copper is an excellent conductor of heat. This means that copper's high thermal conductivity allows heat to pass through it quickly. Other desirable properties of copper in heat exchangers include its corrosion resistance, biofouling resistance, maximum allowable stress and internal pressure, creep rupture strength, fatigue strength, hardness, thermal expansion, specific heat, antimicrobial properties, tensile strength, yield strength, high melting point, alloy, ease of fabrication, and ease of joining. The combination of these properties enable copper to be specified for heat exchangers in industrial facilities, HVAC systems, vehicular coolers

Improved methodology for analysis and design of Molten Salt Reactors

Rodrigo Gonzalez Gonzaga De Oliveira

Molten Salt Reactors is a class of advanced reactors that is typically characterised by the presence of a molten inorganic salt of a fissile material as fuel. At the moment, this class of reactors is considered one of the promising options in the long run of nuclear power.In the context of safety assessment of the MSFR, a task on analysis of selected transients was planned by the SAMOFAR project, to which this thesis should contribute. In addition, fluids with high melting temperature bring with them challenges regarding solidification of the fluid and possible flow blockage, to which a method was implemented during this thesis to evaluate the consequences. The open core cavity with curved shape adds another issue where the core is highly turbulent and requires the use of unstructured mesh codes for routine analysis, adding uncertainty and computational burden to the analytical workflow. Using ATARI, the tool developed during this thesis, we:1. Analyse the MSFR together with partners in support of a safety assessment task.2. Consider the impact and how to include solidification/melting in an analytical methodology.3. Evaluate options to manage/reduce uncertainties and the burden of routine use of high-fidelity codes.After a careful derivation of the conservation laws and assembling the code main algorithms, ATARI undergoes verification in a limited scope using the Stefan problem, manufactured solutions and energy balances.The nuclear cavity benchmark was performed between SAMOFAR partners showing equivalency of the codes within the scope of the benchmark. Then the participating institutions perform analysis of the MSFR for the safety assessment task, which ATARI is unable to followup with the transient analysis. The reason for failure is identified as the requirement of appropriate acceleration schemes by OpenFOAM-based multiphysics solvers, and the lack of one in ATARI.In the lack of accurate data regarding the heat exchangers, the impact of solidification is evaluated in a few simplified cases of a pipe with square cross-section and heat exchanger. For different salt compositions and different boundary conditions, the heat exchanger is found to recover from blockage if pump maintains its momentum and some cross-flow is allowed. The recovery of cases with abrupt solidification is questionable due to the required pressure head.The use of flow baffles is investigated as an option to structure the flow inside the reactor and reduce uncertainties originating from turbulence modelling while allowing the use of structured mesh codes for analysis. The concept is tested in a chloride based MSR, which retains its breed and burn mode while showing a quasi-1D flow appropriate for modelling with legacy codes.We recommend that the nuclear cavity benchmark should be expanded to include a more demanding transient case, representative of MSFR transient analysis requirements. A case is made for homogenised and economical models as used in ATARI to enable the practical use of coupling methods that promote the simultaneous solution of equations. A niche for ATARI is found as a special-mission code for analysis of challenging cases with deforming structure and flow field that justifies the use of unstructured meshes and the added computational burden. Due to design uncertainties and their nature, it is recommended to consider solidification implicitly when analysing the MSFR fuel circuit.

EPFL2021

Polymer spiral film gas-liquid heat exchanger for waste heat recovery in exhaust gases

Antoine Breton

In this master thesis report the development of an innovative spiral heat exchanger based on polymer materials is described. Building prototypes, erection of a test bench and firsts tests of the heat exchanger are presented. The heat exchanger prototype survived all tests especially several days in contact with aggressive gases. A facility integrating a Diesel exhaust gases production has been developed to test this heat exchanger design. Performance results obtained during the tests are analysed. Measurement acquisition software developed with Labview was also used. Challenges have been overcome to run the facility in stable conditions in order to obtain reliable measurement. Heat load recovery achieved with the presented heat exchanger is in the range of 1.5 kW thermic but potential heat recovery about 3.5kW might be achievable. Overall heat transfer coefficient is improved compared to other polymer based heat exchanger design. Pressure drop on gas channel is in the range of several mbar and must be further improved and fouling must be minimized. Such a design based on polymer film technology provides better corrosion and chemical resistance compared to conventional metal heat exchangers. Due to the smooth surface of polymer film fouling is reduced. Series production and usage of such heat exchangers would allow operating low temperature waste heat recovery in gases at affordable costs. One promising application is heat recovery in soiled gases in combination with ORC power generation.

2012

Design of the heat exchanger network for the SOFC-GT concept

Karel De Raeve

Within the challenge of sustainability, climate change mitigation and energy supply a promising way of more rational energy conversion is decentralized power generation and the co-production of power and heat. The combination of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with a gas turbine (GT) in an hybrid system is considered as a promising technology in this context. The process performance is highly influenced by the optimal energy integration satisfying cooling and heating requirements. Therefore, the goal of this project consists in the study of the heat exchange phenomena and of the design of the heat exchanger network.

2013

Improved methodology for analysis and design of Molten Salt Reactors

Rodrigo Gonzalez Gonzaga De Oliveira

EPFL2021