Study on Heat Transfer Synergy and Optimization of Capsule-Type Plate Heat Exchangers

Abstract

An efficient and accurate method for optimizing capsule-type plate heat exchangers is proposed in this paper. This method combines computational fluid dynamics simulation, a backpropagation algorithm and multi-objective optimization to obtain better heat transfer performance of heat exchanger structures. For plate heat exchangers, the heat transfer coefficient j and friction coefficient f are a pair of contradictory objectives. The optimization of capsule-type plate heat exchangers is a multi-objective optimization problem. In this paper, a backpropagation neural network was used to construct an approximate model. The plate shape was optimized by a multi-objective genetic algorithm. The optimized capsule-type plate heat exchanger has lower flow resistance and higher heat exchange efficiency. After optimization, the heat transfer coefficient is increased by 8.3% and the friction coefficient is decreased by 14.3%, and the heat transfer effect is obviously improved. Further, analysis of flow field characteristics through field co-ordination theory provides guidance for the further optimization of plates.

Numerical Study of Fluid Flow in a Gyroid-Shaped Heat Transfer Element

“…Methods of increasing the efficiency of the heat exchange process include a wide range of procedures, which are mainly focused on different approaches in terms of the choice and modification of the properties of the working medium [1,2], the material composition and configuration of the individual parts of the technologies [3,4], or changes in the geometric parameters of the elements involved in the heat exchange process [5]. The basic connecting feature is the effort to increase the heat flux while minimising the negative effects on the operating parameters, for example, in the form of an increase in the pressure drop, an increase in external work, or a change in the strength characteristics of the structural parts, as well as parameters related to the economics of operation and its environmental parameters.…”