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Conference Article: Development of compact heat exchanger with diffusion welding

Kunitomi, K.; Takeda, T. (Japan Atomic Research Inst., Ibaraki (Japan). Dept. of HTTR Project); Horie, T.; Iwata, K. (Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd., Hyogo (Japan). Heat Exchangers Div.)

Abstract

A plate fin type compact heat exchanger (PFCHX) normally uses brazing for connecting plates and fins. However, the reliability of brazing is insufficient when PFCHXs are used for a long duration as primary or secondary components in nuclear plants. Particularly, PFCHXs used as a recuperator of gas-turbine plant with the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) or Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) in future generation HTGRs need high reliability in a high temperature region. We have been developing the PFCHX with diffusion welding between plates and fins. The tensile and creep strength in the diffusion welds are superior to those in the brazing especially in high temperature condition. The developing PFCHX consisting of Ni based Hastelloy XR plates is expected to be used over 900 deg. C. Prior to the development of a full scale PFCHX, the small PFCHXs with the diffusion welding were designed, manufactured and installed in a test loop to investigate the welding strength and reliability. The early tests showed that reliability of the diffusion welding is very high, and the PFCHX with the diffusion has a possibility for the IHX or recuperator. Thermal performance tests were also carried out to obtain effective thermal conductance. This paper describes the design and test results of the small compact heat exchanger with the diffusion welding.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Technical committee meeting on design and development of gas cooled reactors with closed cycle gas turbines. Beijing (China). 30 Oct - 2 Nov 1995.
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--899, pp:165-176