The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a ceramic counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger

This paper reports the model-based design and experimental performance evaluation of an all-ceramic compact counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger. Ceramic materials enable high-temperature operation that can exceed the capabilities of comparable metal heat exchangers. Additionally, ceramics may enable operation in harsh chemical environments in which metals cannot be used. Although the internal manifolds and channel layouts can be complex, a unique fabrication process called Pressure Laminated Integrated Structures (PLIS) facilitates low-cost manufacturing. The heat exchangers are tested using inlet air heated up to 750 °C on the hot side, room-temperature inlet air on the cold side, and flow rates up to 3 × 10−3 kg s−1 (150 standard liters per minute of air). The paper reports measured performance of single units at the kilowatt scale for which heat-exchanger effectiveness up to 70% has been achieved.