Dual-fluid topology optimization of printed-circuit heat exchanger with low-pumping-power design

This study proposes a novel design for a printed-circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) using a dual-fluid topology optimization method. To account for the three-dimensional (3D) heat transfer phenomena using the two-dimensional (2D) computational domains, three distinct physical domains are defined: two design domains with density fields of hot and cold fluids, and a thermal conduction domain placed between both fluid fields. To account for the local heat transfer variation within a design domain, the local heat transfer coefficient is expressed using the density fields for the hot- and cold-fluid domains. Here, the design geometry had pillar-shaped fixed density values considering the metal 3D printing. Each flow region had a constant flow rate as the boundary condition with the constraint of the maximum pressure drop between the inlet and outlet. The total amount of the heat transferred between the hot and cold domains was maximized as an objective function. For the validation, the thermal performance of the topology-optimized PCHE was compared to that of a conventional PCHE. The topology-optimized PCHE showed a 66% higher heat transfer rate compared to the conventional PCHE under identical pumping-power conditions.