Plastics heat exchangers
8 Mar 2013
Nanomaterials could revolutionise current technology
Low-temperature heat exchange is often a limiting factor when it comes to improving the energy efficiency of industrial processes. Tapping small temperature differentials needs very large exchange surfaces: requiring unfeasibly large and costly equipment.
In response, the EU-backed Thermonano project aims to develop heat exchangers made of nanofilled-polymers that provide effective heat conductivity via “percolation networks” of carbon or metal fillers.
Nanomaterials could allow more flexible and smaller designs that would be much less costly than alternatives based on metals such as stainless steel or copper alloys. There are also potential advantages in terms of superior corrosion resistance and more effective drop condensation with hydrophobic polymers.
The researchers are focused on three main areas:
- Intercoolers that raise the efficiency of large diesel engines, where heat conductive plastics can provide a cheaper alternative to Cu-alloys when seawater is used as the cooling media in power plants.
- Heat recovery systems from combustion flue gases acting below 300°C, where commercial metal-based systems loose cost effectiveness.
- Application in the chemical and process industries involving harsh chemicals or corrosive environments.
The Thermonano project is led by two universities, Politecnico di Torino and TU Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany, and two research centres – the French Atomic Energy Commissariat and the Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. It also involves three SMEs – Astra Refrigeranti in Italy, Nanocyl in Belgium and Onnistamp in Italy and two large companies – Simona and SGL Carbon, both in Germany.
At least one of the industrial project participants, SGL Carbon, already has applications for related technology out in the market, including a graphite-based composite which is being used in a flue gas heat recovery system.
The Thermonano researchers are currently working to optimise such polymer nanocomposites, particularly their processability by injection moulding.
