Produktionstechnisches Zentrum Hannover Das PZH Leitungsteam Maxim Musterperson Forschungsprojekte
Passive control elements for intelligent flow control in heat exchangers

Forschungsprojekte

Passive control elements for intelligent flow control in heat exchangers

Jahr:  2020
Förderung:  Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture
Supervisor:Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Kabelac
Co-Supervisor:

M.Sc. Marco Fuchs

Projekt ID:3
LocationLeibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Thermodynamik  (IfT) 

 

Motivation

Heat exchangers are the most frequently used devices in energy and process engineering plants. Typically, one  heat-emitting and one heat-absorbing fluid is involved  and these are designed for a nominal load point with regard to flow rates and temperature level. In the partial load range, for example, the flow rates of the fluids can deviate significantly from the nominal load case, which typically leads to incorrect distributions and consequently poor efficiency of the apparatus.

Objectives

The objective of this project is the design of valves and flow control elements based on the bimetal switch effect, which function as passive control elements inside heat exchangers and ensure an effective flow distribution of the fluids even at partial load. For this purpose, possible material combinations are to be identified which, with graded composition, allow a continuous controlled deformation of the component as a function of the component geometry and the adjacent temperature gradients. This deformation should influence the flow within the heat exchanger to optimize the flow distribution.    

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