Update of the sCO2-Test Rig at Cranfield University

Abstract

Since 2018, there is an experimental supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) facility operating at Cranfield University. The purpose of this rig is to enable the exploration of supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid for future bottoming power cycle applications and, more recently, for thermal management applications. The core of the rig is a transcritical closed loop, which has recently been upgraded. The upgrades include an increase in the number of measurement stations, changes to the types of measurements taken, as well as the addition of a new, dedicated data acquisition system. A summary of some of the lessons learned from different test campaigns conducted from 2018 to 2021 is provided, along with a discussion on the measurement upgrades performed. The experience obtained with this rig, as recounted in this paper, could be relevant to similar test rigs or future power cycles applications.

Aircraft thermal management: Practices, technology, system architectures, future challenges, and opportunities

“…With the new challenges being faced regarding thermal management, many types of liquid cooling and refrigerants have been introduced on aircraft. These include, inter alia, dielectric fluids, such as polyalphaolefins (often used for electronics), thermo oils, propylene and ethylene glycol-water mixtures [102], as well as refrigerants, such as those in the R-series, and carbon dioxide, for potential use in supercritical cycles [187], [188].…”

“…The transcritical cycle, using carbon dioxide [161], [187], [188] as the working fluid, is another promising refrigeration cycle that could see application on aircraft in the future. Major advantages of using carbon dioxide over traditional synthetic refrigerants include its availability, low cost, and sustainability.…”