Centrum výzkumu řež selects K°BOND diffusion bonded heat exchanger for their supercritical CO2 research project

The K°BOND heat exchanger will serve as recuperator in an exciting research project being conducted by Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o. (CVR) in Prague to further improve supercritical CO­2 power generation. Power cycles that use supercritical CO2 result in higher thermal efficiencies and lower investment cost than steam-based power cycles.

​

Supercritical CO2 power cycles

In its supercritical state, CO2 acts like a gas and has the density of a liquid. Small changes in temperature or pressure cause dramatic shifts in density. These physical properties make sCO2 a very efficient working fluid for power generation.

The power industry sees sCO2 power cycles as an attractive opportunity for concentrated solar power, industrial waste heat recovery, fossil fuel fired power plants and nuclear power plants.

​

Finding the right heat exchanger type

When CVR started searching for a heat exchanger to serve as the recuperator in their test plant, they had some challenging requirements. The heat exchanger had to be compact, very efficient and the operating conditions were in the range of 300 bar and 600°C. The K°BOND heat exchanger was the right fit here.

K°BOND is a diffusion bonded heat exchanger, also generally known in industry as printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE). Flow channels are etched in the stainless steel plates, after which they are diffusion bonded together to form a solid block of stainless steel. The result is a unit that can withstand high pressure and temperature and is resistant to cyclic loads and transient conditions.

Another important decision point for CVR was the supplier’s experience. Kelvion Thermal Solutions showed a proved track record in supercritical CO2 applications in various projects such as Carbosola and SCARABEUS.

​

About CV Rez

After its establishment in 2002, the main objective of the CVR, and subsequently its mission, became research, development and innovation in the energy sector, with a relatively broad scope, especially in the nuclear field. Nowadays, CVR has not only several renowned experts, but also a unique experimental infrastructure including the LVR-15 and LR-0 research reactors, process loops, hot cells and a full range of state-of-the-art laboratories.

CVR has extensive experience in the field of supercritical CO2 technology. The sCO2 pilot conversion cycle SOFIA is currently under construction with an anticipated commissioning date in 2025. This 1 MW electrical output unit will be among the first pilot units worldwide and is intended for the necessary technology demonstration before potential energy implementation.