Three-Dimensional CFD Analysis on Gas Flow in Corrugated Wall Channel

A printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is known as one of the promising types for an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a nuclear hydrogen production system. This paper presents fundamental numerical results on gas flow behaviors in a typical PCHE geometry. Laminar and turbulent flows were analyzed based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Local friction coefficient and local Nusselt number were evaluated and compared with those by typical correlations for tubes. In the case of a turbulent flow, various turbulence models were applied. The results clearly show the significance of a careful selection of a turbulence model. (authors)