Compact plate heat exchange design and optimization for ice slurry applications: a review of experiences and development steps.

A lot of research work has been done in order to understand the thermal and hydraulic behaviour of waterbased ice slurries in different apparatus, e.g. pipes, fittings and heat exchangers. On the contrary, a recent market analysis determined a lack of comprehensive design guidelines for manufacturing and application of ice slurry plate heat exchangers. The paper gives a systematic overview of existing theoretical and practical experience for design and usage of compact plate heat exchangers in ice slurry applications. The focus lies on applicability and data coherency, especially for predicting pressure drop and heat exchange coefficients. A critical analysis brings up further demand for research. In the following, ILK Dresden set up a medium-scale test facility to investigate comprehensively the processes of scraped and vacuum ice slurry generation, storage, distribution and heat exchange. Development objectives and further steps on heat exchanger design shall be discussed.