ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED SPIRALLY CORRUGATED HEAT EXCHANGER TUBES
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Authors
Byrne, Noah H.
Subjects
heat transfer
heat exchanger
additive manufacturing
AM
thermal hydraulic
mechanical stresses
design
3D printing
enhanced heat transfer
computational fluid dynamics
CFD
heat exchanger
additive manufacturing
AM
thermal hydraulic
mechanical stresses
design
3D printing
enhanced heat transfer
computational fluid dynamics
CFD
Advisors
Smith, Walter C.
O'Brien, Sean, Naval Nuclear Lab
Date of Issue
2023-09
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
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-feedwater 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.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
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Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.