It has been proposed that compact ceramic heat exchangers can be used for high temperature, corrosive applications. This paper discusses the design development of a micro-channel heat exchanger for the decomposition of sulfuric acid as part of the hydrogen producing sulfur iodine thermo-chemical cycle. Corrosion studies of candidate materials indicate that ceramic materials have superior corrosion and creep resistance under these high temperature, high acid concentration environments. This compact heat exchanger utilizes micro-channels to enhance the heat transfer while maintaining low pressure drops within the system. Through modular stacking of these micro-channel networks, a "shell and plate" configuration enables the processing of commercial-scale processes. The ceramic materials provide for long-life applications. The design of the micro-channel features captures the enhanced heat transfer characteristics at the micro-scale; the modular assembly permits the integration into macro-scale processes. As a case study, the thermal performance and the economics were investigated to determine the feasibility of this compact heat exchanger for the hydrogen producing sulfur iodine thermo-chemical cycle. The results of this design effort with its associated performance goals and development status will be reported.

Volume Subject Area:
Heat Transfer
Topics:
Ceramics, Design, Heat exchangers, Microchannels, Corrosion, Cycles, Heat transfer, High temperature, Hydrogen, Sulfur, Creep, Economics , Manufacturing, Microscale devices, Pressure drop, Shells
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