TOpoLogy Optimization of Micro-channel Heat-Exchangers
Presentation of the problem and objective of the experiment
Micro Channel Heat Exchanger (MCHE) are heat exchangers in which the fluid flows in lateral confinements with dimensions of millimeters. Thanks to the high volumetric heat flux, compactness, and efficient flow distribution, they offer several advantages over standard exchangers.
The traditional design approach for MCHE requires several iterations before the final configuration is established, leading to significant R&D costs, long time-to-market, and expensive experimental campaigns. In practice, due to budget constraints, only a few configurations are assessed, resulting in sub-optimal design which negatively impacts the competitiveness of the final product.
Short description of the experiment
In the TOLOMHE experiment, we propose to integrate a set of computational tools in an HPC-centric framework for the topology optimization of MCHE. The building blocks of TOLOMHE are:
- ModeFRONTIER (by Esteco),a solver-agnostic optimizer,
- Mimic (by Optimad): a software for computer-aided geometry manipulation featuring topology parametrization of implicit geometries,
- ImmerFLOW (by Optimad): a multiscale multi-physics solver for the thermal-fluid coupling based on the immersed boundary condition paradigm, which is particularly well-suited for automated workflows with complex geometries.
The multiscale nature of the fluid-dynamic/thermal coupling in MCHE is addressed through a proprietary formulation by Optimad based on a Machine Learning (ML) model.
UPDATE:
The ongoing activities have been successfully concluded with the generation of an extensive BD of simulations for the microscale. Partners are ready to start the training of the ML model to predict the results of our high-resolution simulations.
Organisations involved:
End User: Aidro
ISV: Optimad
HPC Center: CINECA
Partner CINECA is part of the NCC Italy.