Wed, 02 October, 2024
TWI Senior Project Leader for Thermal Processing Technologies, Kandarp Amin is due to present at The European Space Thermal Engineering Workshop in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
The in-person event, which is organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) Thermal Division will take place from 8-10 October, 2024.
Kandarp’s presentation will take place on 8 October, between 11:30 and 12:00, during the session on Thermal Design, focussing on the, ‘Development of a Compact Lightweight Micro-Channel Heat Exchanger (MCHX) for Reusable Launch Systems.’
About the Presentation
Although microchannel heat exchangers (MCHXs) have been studied in the academic sector for around 20 years, this has escalated in recent times due to the severe heat management issues associated with current and emerging applications in technology areas such as energy production and space.
The space sector, in particular, is implementing thermodynamic cycles in what can be considered very high temperature and high pressure environments. One example is the thermodynamic cycle of the Synergistic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE), a hypersonic precooled aero-engine developed by Reaction Engines Ltd. SABRE is unique among rockets as it can operate both as a turbojet engine (air breathing) and a conventional rocket, where extreme pressures and temperature differentials are present.
An ESA-funded and supported project worked to develop and validate a compact, lightweight, high performance helium-hydrogen heat exchanger model, based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and analytic theoretical models. The validated model provided the basis for a heat exchanger concept used in the power management system of a reusable launch system. The main technical objective was to increase the thermal performance of the MCHX to achieve a Nusselt number of over 10 (Nu>10). This is primarily achieved through the addition/modification of geometrical features and channel arrangement, as well as through the adoption of a cross-flow H2-He design as part of a wider Brayton heat cycle concept.
The model results indicated that substantial size and weight reduction can be achieved provided that specifically engineered microchannels are manufactured at the sub-micron scale. The resulting MCHX was designed so that it could be manufactured using photochemical etching to form the micron-scale channels on individual shims, which are then stacked and diffusion bonded to produce 316L stainless steel MCHX breadboards for the ongoing validation programme itself. This method of manufacture produced what are commonly known as a printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs). Their high strength, leak-tight bonds, good chemical compatibility, and compact and lightweight nature, makes them suitable for extreme service conditions, whilst achieving the desired heat transfer goals.
About the Workshop
The European Space Thermal Engineering Workshop provides a forum for the exchange of best practice, experiences, lesson learnt and the views of thermal engineers working on space missions. Bringing thermal engineers and tool developers together, the event will promote the latest developments in all aspects of thermal engineering, including the latest technologies, approaches and methodologies.
You can find out more about the workshop, here.