Maximizing power density in large-scale heat exchangers

Details

Supervisors

Horsten, Niels

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil en génie de l'énergie , à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enHeat exchangers are used in a wide range of engineering applications such as the automobile industry, HVAC systems, electronics cooling, and most notably in energy conversion systems in power plants. In some cases, space is limited and the heat exchanger must be compact, especially in automotive and aerospace applications. More recently, the development of Generation IV nuclear reactors and Small Modular Reactors has also increased the need for compact heat exchangers. This work focuses on optimizing the power density of parallel-plate heat exchangers. First, small-scale heat exchangers with laminar flows are considered. Then, large-scale devices with turbulent flows are studied. The particular case of the steam generator in one of the promising designs for Generation IV nuclear reactors, the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor, is selected for the optimization. The results computed from analytical correlations are compared with numerical simulations to assess their validity.