Wed, 21 October, 2020
The overall objective of the GeoHex project is to develop advanced materials with anti-scaling and anti-corrosion properties for cost-efficient and enhanced heat exchanger (HX) performance for geothermal applications. The project relies on the use of low cost carbon steel as base material for HX. Through modifying the surface with nano-porous coatings and controlling the surface chemistry (along with the surface structure), GeoHex aims to significantly improve the heat transfer performance of single phase and phase change heat transfer process respectively.
As the project reaches its first year milestone, rigorous trials are underway at TWI, GREIN, ULEIC and UPB to develop high performance materials for single phase heat transfer, condensers and ORC evaporators in geothermal applications. These will be tested on test rigs designed and developed by SPIKE.
Customised rigs have been designed to test single-phase heat exchanger (operating between an organic fluid and geothermal brine) and evaporative heat exchanger to assess the influence and effectiveness of particular surface treatments on heat exchange. The test rig are equipped with the appropriate adjustments, measurement and control instrumentation and will be used to carry out numerous testing campaigns with different exchange materials and surface treatments.
GeoHex test rig