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High Temperature Heat Exchanger Design and Fabrication for Systems with Large Pressure Differentials

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1349235· OSTI ID:1349235
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Thar Energy, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); NETL
  2. Thar Energy, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
The project’s main purpose was to design, build and test a compact heat exchanger for supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle recuperators. The compact recuperator is required to operate at high temperature and high pressure differentials, 169 bar (~2,500 psi), between streams of sCO2. Additional project tasks included building a hot air-to-sCO2 Heater heat exchanger (HX) and design, build and operate a test loop to characterize the recuperator and heater heat exchangers. A novel counter-current microtube recuperator was built to meet the high temperature high differential pressure criteria and tested. The compact HX design also incorporated a number of features that optimize material use, improved reliability and reduced cost. The air-to-sCO2 Heater HX utilized a cross flow, counter-current, micro-tubular design. This compact HX design was incorporated into the test loop and exceeded design expectations. The test loop design to characterize the prototype Brayton power cycle HXs was assembled, commissioned and operated during the program. Both the prototype recuperator and Heater HXs were characterized. Measured results for the recuperator confirmed the predictions of the heat transfer models developed during the project. Heater HX data analysis is ongoing.
Research Organization:
Thar Energy, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
Contributing Organization:
Southwest Research Institute; Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory
DOE Contract Number:
FE0024012
OSTI ID:
1349235
Report Number(s):
DE- FE0024012
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English