Structural Integrity Evaluation of a Lab-Scale PCHE Prototype under the Test Conditions of HELP

The intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) transfers 950 degrees C heat generated from the VHTR to a hydrogen production plant. The korea atomic energy research institute (KAERI) has manufactured a lab-scale printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) prototype made of SUS316L, under consideration, as a candidate. In this study, as a part of a high temperature structural integrity evaluation of the lab-scale PCHE prototype, a macroscopic structural behavior analysis including structural analysis modeling and a thermal/elastic structural analysis was carried out under the test conditions of a helium experimental loop (HELP) as a precedent study for a performance test. The results obtained in this study will be compared with the test results of the lab-scale PCHE prototype.