High-Temperature / High-Pressure Heat Exchanger for Natural Gas–Based Modular Power Generation

Lead Performer: Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN
Partners:
-- Atrex Energy – Walpole, MA
-- Isotherm Inc. – Arlington, TX
-- Gas Technology Institute – Washington, DC
FY19 DOE Funding: $600,000
Project Term: October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2021
Funding Type: Lab Award

Project Objective

In power generation systems, increasing the reactor outlet temperature leads to a higher turbine inlet temperature and potential improvement in thermal efficiency. Supercritical CO2 power systems have shown remarkable thermal performance for use in power generation, with more than 10´ greater compactness compared with the state of the art (SOA). However, the absence of a heat exchanger (HX) technology suitable for the extreme operating conditions encountered in supercritical CO2 applications is a challenge for implementation.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will develop a novel design for an HX, which can be effectively deployed in these systems and can operate at high temperature (>800°C) and high pressure (>15 MPa). Complex HX geometries and novel composite materials that are impossible using conventional manufacturing and processing techniques will be achieved through the use of advanced additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. The thermal-hydraulic performance (UA) can be increased by 250% over the SOA by optimization of geometry using advanced computational fluid dynamics calculations. In addition, the size and weight of the HX system may be reduced by up to 60%, reducing capital costs and enabling applications currently not feasible.

Project Impact

This project will greatly impact modular power generation. Existing technologies cannot function at high operating temperatures because of the materials used. This project intends to develop a highly cost-effective HX technology with unprecedented effectiveness in extreme thermal environments, thus making high-temperature operation feasible. The next-generation HX for modular power generation will be 40% more compact and reduce cost by at least 30% compared with SOA technologies.

Since the technology is highly scalable, it can be deployed at both residential and commercial scale. Large-scale deployment will result in substantial improvement in energy savings in the power generation sector and will help U.S. manufacturers assume a leading role in development of the technology at the global scale.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Antonio Bouza
Lead Performer: Kashif Nawaz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory