K°BOND SPECIAL CHANNEL PATTERN
OPTIMIZED FLOW DYNAMICS
KTS developed a new and special channel pattern that optimizes the flow dynamics for Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHE).
This results in a PCHE with a significant lower pressure drop at high heat transfer coefficients. A lower pressure drop improves clients process efficiency. Alternatively, customers can make their installations even more compact with this new K°BOND channel pattern.
Retrofitting PCHE with conventional patterns by this new K°BOND pattern enables companies to increase their production capacity.
This innovative channel pattern was initially developed for supercritical CO2 power cycles under the EU funded R&D project called SCARABEUS. However, many other process will benefit from lower pressure drops and higher efficiency.
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SUPERCRITICAL CO2
POWER CYCLES
The closed Brayton Cycle gas turbine, with supercritical CO2 (sCO2) as a fluid, offers a more energy-efficient way of generating electricity than the standard Rankine steam cycle used to drive most of the world’s turbines and power plants.
In 2019, driven by our commitment to develop our green solutions, KTS joined the SCARABEUS project funded by European Union. This is a collaborative effort with nine European partners to advance the utilization of blended CO2 for supercritical CO2 cycles in concentrated solar plants (CSP).
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Grant agreement No. 814985
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KTS’ contribution in this project was the optimization of the flow dynamics in the printed circuit heat exchangers named K°BOND. We achieved this by innovating new internal shapes, departing from the conventional straight and zig-zag channels.
By combining mechanical finite element analysis and CFD calculation, we have successfully optimized the shape to achieve enhanced heat transfer with reduced pressure losses compared to zig-zag channels.
With equivalent duties and similar pressure losses, the new design enables a 10% reduction in the number of plates required.
Applications for CO2 Power Cycles:
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• Concentrated solar power plants
• Waste heat to power
• Allam-Fetvedt power cycle
• Nuclear power
K°BOND in sCO2 power cycle at Helmholtz Institute Dresden
SPECIAL CHANNEL PATTERNS
LOW PRESSURE DROP
Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers are widely appreciated for their outstanding heat transfer characteristics. They offer high efficiency, close temperature approach and extreme compactness.
KTS is again setting new standards by providing a special channel pattern that reduces pressure drop, while maintaining superior heat transfer coefficients.
Various applications will benefit from lower pressure drops such as:
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Supercritical CO2 power cycles
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Natural gas compression
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Hydrogen compression
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CO2 compression