Experimental Performance Evaluation of a Multi-stream Heat Exchanger for Integration of High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis with Nuclear Reactor Systems

• Published in: The Korean journal of chemical engineering 2024, 41(10), 295, pp.2901-2912
• Main Authors: Kim, Sin-Yeob, Park, Byung Ha, Hong, Sung-Deok, Kim, Chan Soo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air supplies; Biotechnology; Boilers; Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Control methods; Control systems; Design analysis; Electrolysis; Experimental nuclear reactors; Heat exchangers; Heat transfer; Helium; High temperature; High temperature gas cooled reactors; High temperature nuclear reactors; Hydrogen production; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Materials Science; Nuclear reactors; Original Article; Performance evaluation; 화학공학
• ISSN: 0256-1115; 1975-7220
• DOI: 10.1007/s11814-024-00270-7

Printed-circuit type multi-stream heat exchanger was designed and fabricated to produce high-temperature steam and air simultaneously from high-temperature helium heated using the helium loop, which is simulating VHTR (Very-High Temperature gas-cooled Reactor). This study describes the design methodology and the heat transfer performance evaluation results of the multi-stream heat exchanger for stable supply of high temperature steam and air to a 30 kWe SOEC (solid-oxide electrolyzer cell) system to produce hydrogen with high-temperature nuclear reactor systems. In order to control the steam supply above 700 ℃, the steam supply control methodology was established with a pressure control valve between the multi-stream heat exchanger and a steam generator. In this study, 20 kg/hr of steam over 800 ℃ and 110 SLPM of air over 750 ℃ were supplied stably with the multi-stream heat exchanger using helium loop. The heat transfer performance evaluation for steam is 1.1% below the design condition, which meets the design value within the error range. However, for air, the heat transfer was found to be 50.6% less than the design value due to a decrease in flow rate and reduced heat transfer performance caused by the formation of a deposition layer along the flow path. This high-temperature steam and air supply system will be connected with a high-temperature steam electrolysis system to perform the integral hydrogen production test using helium loop.