Improving the efficiency of pressure recovery system by high-fin tube heat exchanger

In order to improve the efficiency of the pressure recovery system (PRS) of high energy chemical laser, a high-fin heat exchanger was designed and manufactured. Instead of the common non-integral finned tubes, copper tubes with integral screwed high fins were adopted. The copper tubes were in staggered arrangement and were forced water-cooled. The heat exchanger was integrated in a chemical laser system and was then tested. Comparative analysis was performed to the efficiency of PRS with and without heat exchanger. The flow resistance of heat exchanger is found to decrease when background pressure increases from 4.03 kPa to 9.366 kPa. When background pressure is 9.366 kPa, flow resistance is 0.133 kPa, which only accounts for 1.4% of the pressure at heat exchanger entrance. Compared with that of PRS without heat exchanger, the pressure at the mixing chamber entrance of PRS with heat exchanger decreases 12.95%, which suggests that the efficiency of PRS is improved with the help of heat exchanger.