High performance energy efficient heat exchangers and their

rigorous modeling through process simulation Course

Modeling of Kobe's High Performance heat

exchangers and Microchannel reactors

19 June, 2012
K. Noishiki, Development group
KOBE STEEL, LTD
The information contained herein are the property of Kobe Steel, Ltd. They shall not 1
be disclosed ,reproduced or used without the prior written consent of Kobe Steel.
 Contents

䋪 Kobe Steel, Ltd Background to technology

(ALEX: Brazed Aluminum Plate fin Heat Exchanger)
䋪 Microchannel Heat Exchanger (PCHE: Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger)
䋪 Comparison between ALEX and PCHE for PlateFin
䋪 Design and rating software for heat exchanger
䋪 Link between Aspen Hysys and PlateFin
䋪 Performance check of PCHE (After cooler for compressor)

䋪Microchannel Reactor
䋪Conceptual design – Large capacity Microchannel Reactor
䋪Testing results for extraction of SMCR
(SMCR: Stacked Multi-Channel Reactor)

2
 Kobe Steel, Ltd Background to technology

Over 40 years experience as major manufacturer of compact heat exchanger

(ALEX=Brazed Aluminum Plate-fin type).

Extensive range of technologies to design and fabricate heat exchangers of this type.

Has now developed the micro or milli channel heat exchanger (like PCHE (Printed
Circuit Heat Exchanger) and MCR (Microchannel Reactor) based on this technology.

3
Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger (PCHE)

4
 Micro channel Heat Exchanger
(PCHE: Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger)
䋼Application䋾
a) Gas cooler for offshore use
b) Special use for high pressure, high temperature or large temperature difference

䋼Features䋾
a) can withstand high pressure (over 50MPaG)
b) High thermal performance (approximately 1/10th of Shell &Tube type)

䋼Fabrication step䋾 㪚㪿㪼㫄㫄㫀㪺㪸㫃

㪧㫃㪸㫋㪼 㪪㫋㪸㪺㫂㫀㫅㪾 㪛㫀㪽㪽㫌㫊㫀㫆㫅㩷㪹㫆㫅㪻㫀㫅㪾
㪜㫋㪺㪿㫅㫀㫅㪾

㪫㫐㫇㪼㩷㪊㪇㪋㪣㪃 㪝㫆㫉㫄㩷㫋㪿㪼
㩷㩷㩷㩷㩷㩷㩷㩷㪊㪈㪍㪣 㪚㪿㪸㫅㫅㪼㫃

Outside view of core block

Channel with header
& nozzle

Bonding potion

Cross sectional view of

Image of channel diffusion bonding
Note: KSL can fabricate this equipment based
on ASME code with stamp (2010E+2011a).
5
 Design and rating software for heat exchanger

<Design Software>
KSL’s own software
KSL's own software and technique
Aspen PlateFin ---first shot design of PFHE

<Rating software(Aspen PlateFin)>:

• Stream by stream simulation and thermosyphon
• Detailed layer by layer simulation
(including stacking arrangement)
• Crossflow exchanger simulation (single or multi-pass)

Note- Fin performance or channel data were measured by KSL.

and the data are linked to Aspen PlateFin.

6
 Comparison between ALEX and PCHE for PlateFin
All design parameters for ALEX and PCHE are basically the same.

Hence heat transfer and pressure drop performance will be calculated using the
same design tool as for ALEX.
㫇㫋 㫋㩷㪝
㫇㫋
㪪㪼㫇㪸㫉㪸㫋㪼㩷㫊㪿㪼㪼㫋
㪺㪿㪸㫅㫅㪼㫃

㪿
㪔㪽㫀㫅

㫋㫇
㪽㫀㫅
㪿

㫋㪝

㫋㩷㫇
㫊㪼㫇㪸㫉㪸㫋㪼㩷㫇㫃㪸㫋㪼

㪪㫀㪻㪼㩷㪹㪸㫉 㪪㫀㪻㪼㩷㪹㪸㫉

㫋㩷㪙
㫋㩷㪙
ALEX PCHE
5mm
Fin = Channel,
pt: pitch of fin
h: height of fin,
tF: thickness of fin
tB: thickness of side bar
7
 Link between Aspen Hysys and PlateFin

Operation condition for Multi-Stage Compressor is simulated by HYSYS.

The some operation condition are checked by the link between HYSYS and
Aspen PlateFin.
8
 Performance check of PCHE
(After cooler for Compressor)

Shell&Tube PCHE
㱂650㬍4200TL-TL (5500kg) 330X350X650 (700kg)
Design Pressure: 8MPaG (Hydrostatic test: 12MPaG)
Code: Japanese High Pressure Gas Safety Law (with stamp)

KSL tests confirm the mechanical and thermal performance of this PCHE to be
superior to S&T.
*Performance calculation
Design tool:&KSL’s
Ratingsoftware,
: KSL's own software
Rating and technique
calculation: Aspen Platefin
(PCHE:S&T) Volume: 1:10, Weight: 1:8
9
 Microchannel reactor
(Stacked Multi-channel reactor)

10
 Microchannel Reactor
(SMCR: Stacked Multi-Channel Reactor)

SMCR is the stacked multi-channel reactor for the large capacity use, it
is very easy to built the numbering-up䋨multi-channel of one unit) by
using the channel arrangement of third dimension .
㸢 Improve batch operation to continuous operation for large capacity

Mixer type䋨batch operation) 䋼2 dimensional䋾 䋼3 dimensional䋾

Y shape tube (Existing MCR) Plate type (SMCR)
A fluid M B fluid A fluid
Thermal control (Heat transfer)
C fluid Continuous A+B fluids A+B+C fluids
A fluid A+B fluids A+B+C fluids

Mixing B fluid C fluid

B fluid
C fluid Cross sectional view of channel

Channel

䋼Application䋾
a) Extraction
b) Polymerization (Highly exothermic reaction) Bonding
potion

c) Reaction (liquid & liquid, liquid & gas and others) Photo of bonding area

㹢 It will be very important to estimate thermal performance of each reaction.

11
 Conceptual design - Large capacity Microchannel Reactor

close up
B fluid
A fluid B fluid A fluid

A+B fluid

Image of cross sectional view A+B fluid

Stacked plate (b+a+b+a+b: plate and thermal a: plate a: plate b: thermal

control) will be bonded to one block. (surface side) (reverse side) control
Chanel number
䋽channel䋯plate 㬍stacked number A+B fluid

䋨Feature䋩
Each stream has uniform pressure drop,
so maldistribution is minimized. A fluid thermal control B fluid
Due to this, a large capacity Micro channel
Header and nozzle
reactor can be designed and fabricated.

12
 Testing results for extraction use of SMCR
㪈㪅㪇

㸠SMCR

Extraction(%) / equilibrium
Tank SMCR 㪇㪅㪏 䃂䂓1x1 layer=1

ᐔⴧ᛽಴₸Ყ㪲㪄㪴
channel
䂥5x1 layer =5
㪇㪅㪍 channels
䂹5x5 layers=25

(%)(-)
channels
㪇㪅㪋

extraction
㪇㪅㪉 Mixer㸢
䂦 60rpm
䂔 400rpm
㪇㪅㪇
Feeder (pump)
㪇㪅㪇㪇㪈 㪇㪅㪇㪈 㪇㪅㪈 㪈 㪈㪇 㪈㪇㪇 㪈㪇㪇㪇
Testing device ធ⸅ᤨ㑆㪲㫄㫀㫅㪴
Residence time (min)
Test results (extraction from phenol
0.1wt%/dodecane to water)

a) No deterioration of extraction ratio by using SMCR

b) Residence time of SMCR can reduce 1/100 of Mixer type

㹢 KSL will use HYSYS and Aspen PlateFin to simulate the thermal
performance and mass-transfer of SMCR by same concept of PCHE. 13
 Conclusion
• Based on BAHX technologies, Kobe steel is now developing Microchannel
heat exchangers and reactors for some applications such as cooler for
compressor, extraction and reaction use.
• The heat transfer is most important issue for design of these equipment.
• The channel shape information of PCHE can be changed to the fin shape by
using same hydraulic diameter and free flow area.
• Kobe steel presented the design method for the Microchannel equipment by
using PlateFin.
• The process data such as some stage compressor or extraction process
from HYSYS are linked to Aspen PlateFin.
• We reported the design result by PlateFin and the operation test results of
this compressor cooler.
• And also, we introduced Large capacity Microchannel reactor and the
importance of HYSYS and Aspen PlateFin to simulate the thermal and mass-
transfer performance.

14
For reference

15
 Bonding strength check

Bursting test of sample core by diffusion bonding

Bonding quality was confirmed by bursting test .

㸢 Bursting pressure was over 100MPaG.
(Channel size: 2mmx1mm, pitch 2.3mm,
material: stainless steel)

The information contained herein are the property of Kobe Steel, Ltd. They shall not 16
be disclosed ,reproduced or used without the prior written consent of Kobe Steel.
 Fabrication flow of PCHE (Printed circuit Heat Exchanger)
㪚㫆㫉㪼㩷㪙㫆㪻㫐
㪪㪪㪊㪇㪋㩷㫆㫉㩷㪊㪈㪍㪣
㪤㪸㫋㪼㫉㫀㪸㫃 㪚㪿㪼㫄㫀㪺㪸㫃㩷㪜㫋㪺㪿㫀㫅㪾 㪙㫆㫅㪻㫀㫅㪾
䋨㪧㫃㪸㫋㪼㪀 㪸㫅㪻㩷㫆㫋㪿㪼㫉㫊 㪪㫋㪸㪺㫂㫀㫅㪾
㩿㪛㫀㪽㪽㫌㫊㫀㫆㫅㩷㪹㫆㫅㪻㫀㫅㪾㩷㫆㫉㩷㪹㫉㪸㫑㫀㫅㪾㪀

㪪㪪㪊㪇㪋㩷㫆㫉㩷㪊㪈㪍㪣
䋨㪜㫅㪻㩷㪧㫃㪸㫋㪼㪀 㪤㪸㫋㪼㫉㫀㪸㫃 㪤㫀㫃㫃㫀㫅㪾
㫇㪼㫉㪽㫆㫉㫄㪼㪻㩷㪹㫐㩷㪢㪪㪣㩷㫆㫉㩷㫊㫌㪹
㫍㪼㫅㪻㫆㫉㩷㩿㪚㪼㫉㫋㫀㪽㫀㪺㪸㫋㩷㪽㫆㫃㪻㪼㫉㪀

㪟㪼㪸㪻㪼㫉㩷㩽㩷㫅㫆㫑㫑㫃㪼
㪪㪪㪊㪇㪋㩷㫆㫉㩷㪊㪈㪍䌌
㪚㫌㫋㫋㫀㫅㪾㩷㪸㫅㪻 㪮㪼㫃㪻㫀㫅㪾 㪮㪼㫃㪻㫀㫅㪾
㪤㪸㫋㪼㫉㫀㪸㫃 㪹㪼㫅㪻㫀㫅㪾

㪠㫅㫊㫇㪼㪺㫋㫀㫆㫅
䋨㪟㫐㪻㫉㫆㫊㫋㪸㪺㫀㩷㫋㪼㫊㫋㪃㩷㫃㪼㪸㫂㩷㫋㪼㫊㫋
㪸㫅㪻㩷㫆㫋㪿㪼㫉㫊䋩

㪧㪸㪺㫂㫀㫅㪾㩷㩽
㪪㪿㫀㫇㫇㫀㫅㪾

17
 Bonding method

Brazing
(Aluminum and
others)

Diffusion bonding
(Stainless Steel)

Bonding method and material is selected based on the channel size,

corrosion resistance, required strength and other relevant factors.

18
 New Requirements in ASME for diffusion bonding

There were the special requirement for Diffusion bonding in Code Case(2437-1,
2621-1). But these requirements are limited to the special application.

Based on the customers requests,

the general requirements are specified in ASME 2011a as follows,
ASME Sec. VIII Div.1 “Diffusion bonding” at Mandatory Appendix-42
Sec. IX “Diffusion Welding” in QW-185

Requirement for production tests (only key issues):

aa) Test block shall be a minimum of a 200mm x200mmx 50 interface planes
bb) free from cracks and shall show no incomplete bond or porosity on or
adjacent to the bond lines
cc) After the bonding, mechanical properties (TS,YS Hardness) shall match the
ASME requirements (same as base metal).

Further more, M.A.W.P. (Maximum Allowable Working Pressure) for the device
will be decided by the results of the bursting test in UG-101.

19
 Busting test Results (sample)

Pressure
Liquid pump
gauge

Surge
pressure tank

Test block
Protection

MAWP (Maximum Working Pressure) will be decided based on bursting test

(ASME UG-101).

20
 Busting test Results (sample)

Pressure
Liquid pump
gauge

Surge
pressure tank

Test block
Protection

MAWP (Maximum Working Pressure) will be decided based on bursting test

(ASME UG-101).

21
Bursting test results based
on ASME

22
 PQR for diffusion bonding
based on ASME

After the bonding, we confirmed that mechanical properties (TS,YS Hardness)

matched the ASME requirements (same as base metal).

23
 Demo heat exchanger based on ASME code

Demo heat exchanger (size 150Wx150Hx300mm)

24