Topology optimization for dual-flow heat exchangers of moderate conductive material within a narrow design domain: Numerical and experimental investigations
Résumé
Heat exchangers (HXs) play a critical role in various energy systems, which can largely influence their overall efficiency. Most recently, the interest in the topology optimization (TO) of heat transfer, which can derive innovative thermal designs, is growing rapidly. Therefore, the present work investigates the utility of the densitybased TO for dual-flow HX unit of moderate conductive material (Stainless Steel (SS)) and narrow design domain, along with CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and experimental verifications. The objective of the TO is to maximize the heat exchange rate, while a pressure drop constraint is imposed on the HX's flow channels to avoid the blocking issues. An in-depth investigation is conducted to study the effect of various TO's input parameters on the derived topology. The obtained results reveal that the TOderived design is mainly featured by the solid allocation in proximity to the insulation walls but not at the interface wall that separates hot and cold fluids (where heat is exchanged). Furthermore, high fidelity CFD simulations along with experimental approaches (including Infrared thermography) are employed to validate the TO's design methodology and the numerical model. The experimental and numerical results present good agreement between each other, demonstrating the thermo-hydraulic performance superiority of the TO-acquired design compared to the benchmark case with an intensification in the exchanged heat up to 15% under the same pumping power.
Lastly, a physical interpretation is delivered to analyze the underlying physics behind the TO-acquired topologies.
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