Ceramic high temperature plate‐fin heat exchanger: A novel methodology for thermomechanical design investigation

Jürgen Haunstetter,Volker Dreißigacker

doi:10.1002/ese3.502

Abstract

AbstractThe basic methodology of a novel, time‐saving approach for critical thermomechanical design studies of ceramic high temperature plate‐fin heat exchanger is presented. This approach allows the determination of local displacements, by applying the outer heat exchanger boundary conditions on a substitute model. These displacements are then used for detailed calculation of local stresses. The methodology is based on the effective Young's modulus, effective shear modulus, and effective Poisson ratio. Simulation models have been developed to determine these effective substitute properties. A model verification has been performed with a compression test rig. The simulation predicts the experimental results with deviations below 3%, which proves the feasibility and reliability of the effective material models. In order to reduce the parametric effort of the substitute simulation model, information about the material behavior is important. Here, the results indicate an orthotropic material behavior of the fin structure. This reduces the independent substitute material properties required for the characterization of the substitute model, which also reduces the overall simulation time.

Highlights

Whenever metallic heat exchanger exceeds their maximum operating temperature and chemical limits, ceramic materials offer an alternative solution in high temperature applications
It is applied to a ceramic microchannel plate‐fin heat exchanger with an offset strip fin (OSF) core (Figure 1)
Effective substitute material properties were determined for five different fin geometries to prove the orthotropic characteristic of the OSF plate heat exchanger core

Summary

Introduction

Whenever metallic heat exchanger exceeds their maximum operating temperature and chemical limits, ceramic materials offer an alternative solution in high temperature applications. A review of the state of the art of ceramic heat exchangers and their applications, including primary heat exchangers in gas‐fired furnaces, recuperators and heat exchanger usage in the chemical industry, is given by Sommers et al.[4] The study focuses on ceramic microchannel and plate‐fin heat exchangers. Their advantages are high exchanger surface to volume ratio, compact structure, and high efficiency compared with other ceramic heat exchanger types like heat‐pipes. Design and optimization studies of those ceramic plate heat exchangers are mostly based on flow distribution, thermal performance, and pressure drop behaviour.[5,6,7]

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Conclusion