Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of Distributed Parameter Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is one of the key components for an advanced gas turbine power plant. This paper presents a new modeling technique to solve the iterative calculation for the coupling of pressure and mass flow rate in the flow system of a distributed parameter heat exchanger. In this modeling method, a control volume is separated into a volume unit and a flow resistance unit. The volume unit takes into account the flow rate difference between the inlet and outlet of the control volume, and the flow resistance unit considers the pressure drop in the control volume. Thus a single set of ordinary differential equations is obtained. When we adopt this modeling technique, a non-iterative dynamic model of heat exchanger can be established based on conservation theorems. A single plate-fin heat exchanger for the inter-cooled recuperated gas turbine engine is taken as an example to study the steady state and dynamic performance of the heat exchanger and to verify this modeling technique. The simulation results are reasonable, and the results satisfy the requirement of the real time model. This provides a powerful tool for the dynamic simulation and optimization design of advanced gas turbine power system.© 2005 ASME