Enhancing heat transfer performance in compact heat exchangers
- Babak Baghaei
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Heat exchangers lie at the heart of many energy-intensive systems, from industrial processes and hydrogen storage to the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors. Improving their efficiency — especially in compact geometries — can translate directly into higher system performance, increased safety margins, and reduced operational costs.
A recent study published by Nemat Mashoofi Maleki, Saman Pourahmad, Ebrahim Tavousi, Noel Perera, Pouyan Talebizadehsardari, and Dr Amir Keshmiri (Founder and Technical Director of Mansim) introduces a new class of solid magnetic strip turbulators (SMST) that significantly improve heat-transfer behaviour inside double-tube heat exchangers.
A new approach to turbulence generation
Traditional magnetic turbulators use flexible strips activated by electromagnetic vibration to disturb the flow and increase turbulence near the tube walls.This research extends the concept by introducing:
solid magnetic strip turbulators (SMST) — offering more stable oscillatory motion
a combined system using SMST + helical coiled wire turbulators (HCWT)
experimental testing across multiple strip widths (5–7 mm) and flow rates
By combining both active (magnetically oscillated strips) and passive (helical coils) enhancement methods, the team explored how hybrid turbulence generation can dramatically boost performance.
Significant improvements in heat-transfer performance
The experiments revealed major enhancements in thermal behaviour:
SMST alone improved heat transfer by up to 311%
HCWT alone increased heat transfer by up to 201%
The combined system achieved:
6.55× increase in heat-transfer coefficient
3.85× increase in friction factor
thermal efficiency factor rising to 4.18 in optimal configurations
Larger strip widths produced stronger turbulence and higher heat-transfer rates, although they also increased frictional losses — highlighting important design trade-offs.
Why this matters: stronger, more predictable heat-transfer
The oscillating SMST design produced:
higher turbulence close to the wall
improved boundary-layer disruption
more uniform temperature distribution
stronger thermal performance at low and moderate flow rates
These characteristics are particularly valuable in systems where passive heat transfer is insufficient or where components must operate reliably across variable conditions.
Implications for the nuclear sector
Heat-transfer enhancement technologies are of increasing interest for advanced nuclear applications — especially in areas where compact heat exchangers, safety-critical cooling loops, or thermal-energy buffering systems are used. The findings of this study point to several potential nuclear-sector benefits:
1. Advanced modular reactors (AMRs) and SMRs
Many small modular reactor designs use:
supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycles
intermediate heat exchangers
liquid-metal coolant loops
Enhanced turbulence generation could improve:
heat extraction efficiency
transient response during load-following
temperature uniformity and thermal safety margins
2. Passive and hybrid safety systems
SMST-driven turbulence could help:
strengthen natural circulation
reduce the risk of thermal stratification
improve performance of passive decay-heat removal systems
Particularly in accident-tolerant designs, improved heat transfer is directly tied to safety.
3. Hydrogen production and nuclear co-generation
Where nuclear plants support:
high-temperature electrolysis
thermochemical water-splitting
hydrogen storage loops
More efficient heat exchangers improve the economics and operational stability of co-generation systems.
4. Fuel-handling and storage systems
Improved mixing and heat removal may be beneficial in systems involving:
spent-fuel pool cooling
auxiliary cooling loops
reactor ancillary services
Here, reliable turbulence enhancement supports stable thermal control. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735193324011680
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