Printed circuit heat exchanger thermal–hydraulic performance in supercritical CO2 experimental loop

Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger (PCHE) were investigated in an experimental supercritical CO2 loop. The inlet temperature and pressure were varied from 280 to 300 °C/2.2 to 3.2 MPa in the hot side and from 90 to 108 °C/6.5 to 10.5 MPa in the cold side while the mass flow rate was varied from 40 to 80 kg h−1. The overall heat transfer coefficient range is 300–650 W m−2 K−1 while the compactness with respect to the heat exchanger core is approximately 1050 m2 m−3. The empirical correlations to predict the local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop factor as a function of the Reynolds number have been proposed for the tested PCHE.