Geometry Optimization and Performance Prediction of Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger for Supercritical Methane

  • LI Lin ,
  • WU Jintao ,
  • YIN Jianzhong
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  • State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

Online published: 2025-09-01

Supported by

This study is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFA0710202, 2018YFC0808805).

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025

Abstract

Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is widely used in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry due to its compact structure and high efficiency. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical model of counter-flow PCHE is established using supercritical methane (scCH4) and water as cold and heat sources, respectively. The structure effects on the thermal hydraulic performance of PCHE are studied by comprehensively evaluating the thermal performance factor (TPF) of PCHE. The optimal structural parameter and operating condition are obtained, resulting in a heat exchange volume per unit volume of 2.89 times that before optimization. Variations in diameter and bending angle alter the position and intensity of the Dean vortex, significantly influencing flow and heat transfer performance, whereas the pitch number primarily affects flow performance. By introducing structural correction terms, the correlations for predicting Nu and f of scCH4 in PCHE have been obtained, with deviations of ±12% and ±13%, respectively.

Cite this article

LI Lin , WU Jintao , YIN Jianzhong . Geometry Optimization and Performance Prediction of Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger for Supercritical Methane[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2025 , 34(5) : 1953 -1963 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-025-2181-7

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