Numerical modelling of hydrothermal fluid flow and heat transfer in a tubular heat exchanger under near critical conditions

Continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis processes are of interest for the manufacture of nanoparticle metal oxides. In such processes, nanoparticle nuclei (in a slurry) which are initially formed, may continue to grow and agglomerate to generate larger particles as they pass through the synthesis apparatus. These processes can widen the size distribution and also affect the ultimate particle shape in the recovered product. Therefore, fast cooling or quenching the initial nanoparticle slurry using a highly efficient heat exchanger may minimise or stop further crystallisation/agglomeration processes. This may be achieved by optimising the design of the heat exchanger based on detailed examination of flow patterns and heat transfer profiles using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling approach. The predicted flow and heat transfer patterns in the heat exchanger can also provide detailed information for the identification of any heat transfer deterioration or hot spots where further reactions may occur. This paper employs a CFD modelling approach to simulate the heat transfer processes in a tubular heat exchanger of a continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis system and also to examine the effect of various operating conditions, including inlet temperature and flowrate of hot slurry and inlet flowrate of cooling water, on the fluid and thermal features in the heat exchanger. The simulated results show that the predicted temperature and heat transfer coefficient are in good agreement with experimental measurements.