AEROTHERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A COMPACT HEAT EXCHANGER ELEMENT BY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

This paper presents the results of the aerothermal characterization of two additive manufactured offset strip fins Compact Heat Exchanger (CHX) modules, in the framework of the European project NATHENA (New Additive ManufacTured Heat ExchaNgers for Aeronautics). The two samples, with the same dimensions and internal fins geometry, differ for the material: one is Aluminium and the other is Inconel. Both samples were manufactured by AddUp. The experimental campaign was performed by the von Kármán Institute for fluid-dynamics (VKI) to analyze the influence of the material on heat transfer coefficient and total pressure drop along the channel. The results were compared with the outcomes of the CFD simulations performed by TEMISTh. Local fluid temperature and velocity as well as a nondimensional study, in terms of Colburn factor j and Fanning Factor f are also examined.