Compact Heat Exchangers with Curved Fins for Hydrogen Turbofan Intercooling

Paper in proceeding, 2024

Hydrogen is being considered as a possible path towardscarbon-neutral aviation. There are additional advantagesbesides its main benefit of CO2-free combustion. One applicationis to use it for aero engine heat management due to its cryogenictemperature and high heat capacity, including intercooling andexhaust heat recuperation. The focus of this paper is on thedesign of a compact heat exchanger integrated into anintermediate compressor duct (ICD), which could decreasecompression work and specific fuel consumption (SFC). Thiscompact heat exchanger features curved fins to promote flowturning and decrease pressure losses compared to moreconventional straight fin heat exchangers. Conceptual designand duct shape optimization has been carried out whichproduced integrated ICD heat exchanger designs withsignificantly lower air-side total pressure losses compared totheir conventional straight fin counterparts, which couldimprove system level integration and engine performance. Adirect outcome of this study is a pressure loss correlation whichcan be used in future engine system level trade studies.