Numerical investigation on thermal performance and flow characteristics of z and s shape printed circuit heat exchanger using S-CO₂

As a high-efficiency compact heat exchanger, the printed circuit heat exchanger has been widely applied into nuclear reactor and energy industry. In the present paper, the thermal hydraulic performance of printed circuit heat exchanger based on S-CO2 Brayton power cycle has been numerically investigated for various channel shape and bend angle. A total of seven different shaped channels including straight, Z-10, Z-20, Z-30, S-10, S-20, S-30 are modeled, and evaluated according to the heat transfer and friction performances within the Reynolds number of 5000-30000. The inlet temperature/outlet pressure of hot channel and cold channel are 553 K/2.6 MPa and 381 K/8.5 MPa, respectively. The flow patterns, average Nusselt number, friction factor, and heat exchanger effectiveness are obtained. On the comprehensive consideration of heat transfer enhancement and friction, the S-20 channel produces the best thermal performance. This investigation has provided important reference data for the design of advanced printed circuit heat exchanger in the energy industry.