Pressure drop and fluid maldistribution analysis of a compact heat exchanger manufactured by 3D printing

Abstract

The current work focuses on evaluating the pressure drop and fluid maldistribution in a compact heat exchanger produced by additive manufacturing. A polymer prototype was produced using the selective laser sintering process (SLS). Experimental tests were performed in order to evaluate the pressure drop in the system and the fluid maldistribution in the header. The pressure drop tests were carried out at room temperature over a wide range of Reynolds numbers, from laminar to turbulence flow, totaling 76 experimental tests. A theoretical model was presented and validated to predict the pressure drop in the heat exchanger, with an average error of approximately 21%. To evaluate the fluid maldistribution, the header outlet was divided into 9 sections and experimentally tested at 18 flow levels twice, totaling 36 experiments. A modified coefficient of variation (CoV) was applied to estimate the fluid distribution in the header, this model was based on the pressure difference between the header inlet and the section outlet pressure.