Optimization of compact heat exchangers

Abstract

The need to develop heat exchangers of small dimensions, high efficiency and relatively low cost has led to the emergence of compact exchangers. These exchangers are made of thin sheets, different materials and are designed for gas-gas systems, where some constructions can also be used for gas-liquid systems. In this paper, the shape and dimensions of compact exchangers are optimized in order to evenly distribute the flow in the apparatus itself. Fluid flow analysis in a compact exchanger was performed for different sheet metal constructions in current channels. The construction of a compact exchanger with external dimensions of 400x400x400mm was adopted. The optimization was performed in the software package "Solidworks", for several variant solutions.