Optimization design of recuperator in a chemical heat pump system based on entransy dissipation theory

Based on the entransy dissipation theory, the multi-parameter optimization design of recuperator is conducted in an Isopropanol–Acetone–Hydrogen (IAH) chemical heat pump system. The performance of the heat pump system can be improved significantly through the multi-parameter optimization, when the main operation parameters of chemical heat pump remain unchanged. When the main operation parameters of chemical heat pump and the heat transfer area of recuperator remain unchanged, the heat transfer rate of recuperator, the high-temperature heat released from the exothermic reactor, and the coefficient of performance (COP) and exergy efficiency of IAH heat pump system greatly increase while the compressor power decreases remarkably as entransy dissipation number decreases. This is done only by optimizing the combination of design parameters of recuperator taking entransy dissipation number as the objective function under certain constraint conditions, and the cost is no more than the low-temperature waste heat having no practical value.

► Optimization of heat exchanger based on entransy dissipation is conducted at system level.
► The optimization approach is very effective at both component and system levels.
► The performance of the system is improved significantly after the optimization design.
► The obtained high-temperature heat is improved greatly at the expense of low-temperature heat.