Experimental Study on the Heat Transfer Performance of the Diffusion-Bonded Micro Channel Heat Exchanger in the Pilot-Scale Test Facility

Abstract

The heat exchangers using micro channel structure have been studied due to its high efficiency and compactness. If the micro channel heat exchanger is applied to the natural gas liquefaction process, the efficiency of LNG plant can be improved. In this study, the micro channel was fabricated by chemical etching and the heat exchanger core was made by the diffusion bonding method for cryogenic reliability. For applying to the large scale plant such as LNG plant, the pilot-scale thermal performance test setup of the heat exchanger was built. Tests can be performed in the cryogenic environment. The working fluid is cryogenic nitrogen gas. Two different temperature level of nitrogen gas was made by vaporizing from liquid nitrogen. And these fluids exchange the heat through the micro channel heat exchanger. Test rig is an open loop. Therefore nitrogen gas is discharged to the ambient. Temperatures are measured by RTD sensors. Inlet pressures of heat exchanger are measured by the cryogenic pressure transducer and pressure differences of heat exchanger are measured by the differential pressure transmitters. And all the measured data is acquired by DAQ module and saved into PC. The heat transfer coefficients of the micro channel heat exchanger are calculated and the heat transfer characteristics are investigated. And the test result was compared with the existing heat transfer correlations. And the modified heat transfer correlation of the micro channel heat exchanger in the cryogenic environment is suggested.