Technology Outline (Process Description)

Supercritical Carbon dioxide (sCO2) power plants are efficient on account of higher recuperation compared conventional gas turbine and steam-based systems. Since, recuperator effectiveness supersedes turbomachinery efficiencies, compact diffusion bonded heat exchangers also known as Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHE’s) are recommended for sCO2 CSP based power plants. PCHE’s can sustain high temperature and pressures and are known to offer high effectiveness with lower pressure drop, which is needed to realize the higher efficiencies of a sCO2 Brayton cycle. Presently PCHE technology is closely guarded by a handful of commercial manufacturers worldwide, and are exorbitantly priced with long delivery times. Complete indigenization of the sCO2 CSP technology is only possible if PCHE’s can be locally manufactured. IISc Bengaluru along with its industrial partners is in the process of indigenously developing the PCHE technology. As a first step with funding from DST and ADA, it has successfully established the electrochemical etching process and developed a 200-ton vacuum hot press to gain fundamental understanding of the diffusion bonding process.