Structural Assessment of Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers in Supercritical CO2Waste Heat Recovery Systems for Ship Applications

Printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are considered as the most promising heat exchangers for use of the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle. As crucial components operating at high pressure and thermal load at the same time, PCHE structural integrity evaluations are essential. In this study, to assess the structural strength of PCHEs serving as recuperators and precoolers in the S-CO2Brayton cycle as a waste heat recovery system for marine engines, the finite element method (FEM) is used and compared with a currently used method from ASME codes. The effects of temperature and pressure on the hot and cold sides are studied in terms of the temperature and pressure differences between the two sides and the main factors affecting its strength discussed. Then, detailed stress intensities of a PCHE under design conditions are investigated, and the results indicate that the highest stress appears at the middle of the semicircular arc of the channel, except for a concentration near the channel tip regions. Stresses of the PCHE are mainly caused by both pressure and temperature differences, with the minimum effect from temperature. The synthesis of the temperature and pressure fields exhibits a complicated action on the total stress under the design conditions. FEM was a more comprehensive means for structural assessment than the method from ASME codes. Further structural optimization of PCHE is conducted to ensure a maximum life span. This research work can provide theoretical guidance for structural integrity assessment of PCHE for the S-CO2Brayton cycle.