Numerical Study on Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Trapezoidal Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger

Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is a promising regenerative device in the sCO(2) power cycle, with the advantages of a large specific surface area and compact structure. Its tiny and complex flow channel structure brings enhanced heat transfer performance, while increasing pressure drop losses. It is, thus, important to balance heat transfer and flow resistance performances with the consideration of sCO(2) as the working agent. Herein, three-dimensional models are built with a full consideration of fluid flow and heat transfer fields. A trapezoidal channel is developed and its thermal–hydraulic performances are compared with the straight, the S-shape, and the zigzag structures. Nusselt numbers and the Fanning friction factors are analyzed with respect to the changes in Reynolds numbers and structure geometric parameters. A sandwiched structure that couples two hot channels with one cold channel is further designed to match the heat transfer capacity and the velocity of sCO(2) flows between different sides. Through this novel design, we can reduce the pressure drop by 75% and increase the regenerative efficiency by 5%. This work can serve as a solid reference for the design and applications of PCHEs.