High-performance computing methods for designing an effective plate-fin pre-cooler

Abstract The pre-cooler as a critical component in aero-engines, is designed to rapidly cool high-temperature gases. Its internal fluid flow is inhomogeneous, influenced by thermal boundary layers, which results in a significant discrepancy between calculated and measured values. To bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and actual measurements, a new computational method for evaluating the flow and cooling effect of plate-fin pre-coolers has been developed, extending the approach used for plate-fin heat exchangers. This method takes into account the pre-cooler’s outlet temperature and heat transfer efficiency and introduces a turbulence section at the outlet of the high-temperature gas. The proposed method shows discrepancies between calculated and tested hot side outlet temperatures, ranging from 3.98% to 5.21% (average 4.63%), and for cold side outlet temperatures, the range is 1.32% to 3% (average 2.32%). The discrepancy for the hot side turbulence section compared to the unaugmented pre-cooler section is between 2.66% and 6.34% (average 4.62%). This computational evaluation method not only validates its own reliability but also provides a rapid means to assess the performance of plate-fin pre-coolers.