Additively Manufactured Spirally Corrugated Heat Exchanger Tubes
Abstract
The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program is interested in exploring additive manufacturing (AM) technology to improve system performance, reduce component cost, and expand the vendor base. To support that goal, this study examines additively manufactured spirally corrugated tubes for use in a seawater-to feed water heat exchanger. Ti-6Al-4V was selected as the material for the tubes due to its compatibility with AM technology, corrosion resistance, and strength. Heat exchangers can be improved by increasing the heat transfer surface area, which additive manufacturing facilitates through the ability to manufacture complicated geometries that are otherwise difficult to manufacture. Analysis of the proposed tubes geometry is completed using experimental correlations and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to analyze flow and heat transfer through a single tube and over a tube bundle. Thermal and hydraulic performance of the tubes are then applied to a full-sized heat exchanger employing the proposed tubes utilizing limiting parameters to achieve a preliminary sizing and cost analysis. It was determined that the proposed tube geometry has more than double the heat transfer coefficient compared to traditionally manufactured bare tubes. This study determined that the spirally corrugated tubes have the potential to decrease overall unit length by fifty percent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1224531
Entities
People
- Noah H. Byrne
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School