Design of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger for the S-CO₂ Cycle and Laminar Flow in Microchannel Heat Exchangers

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Report Date: May 2003
Appendices: No

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to design a shell and tube intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) for the S-CO2 cycle.

Initially, the reasons for an indirect cycle approach are described.  Next, the work presents the design contraints and thereafter describes the actual modeling process.  The heat exchanger coolants examined were helium (primary side) and carbon dioxide (secondary side).  The modeling assumes helium on the shell-side and carbon dioxide in the tubes.  

According to the analysis the modeled shell and tube IHX had a length of 7.4 m with a bundle volume of 57 m3. The pumping power of the primary and the secondary side was calculated to 4.6 and 2.4 MW, respectively.  

In addition to the shell and tube heat exchanger, the report also addresses the issue of laminar flow in microchannel heat exchangers.  This part of the investigtion aims at presenting convincing theoretical support for highly efficient heat exchangers in laminar flow regime.  

Using the properties of the media for the proposed IHX design, the analysis showed that the number of tubes in the compact heat exchanger for this large scale applicaiton was very big - on the order of millions for a tube inner (hydraulic) diameter of 0.73 mm. In spite of the large number of tubes, the length of the HX was approximately 4 m for an efficency of 85%.

 
Program:     GFR: Gas-cooled Fast Reactors

Type:     TR 

RPT. No.:  4