High Performance and Cost Effective Recuperator for Micro-Gas Turbines

Abstract

Rekuperator Svenska AB owned by VOLVO Technology Transfer Corporation and Avesta Polarit, has successfully developed a completely laser welded recuperator for micro-gas turbine applications. Tests have shown that the thermal performance is very competitive. The recuperator was installed in a 100 kW(e) micro-gas turbine power plant for combined electricity and heat generation by a customer. The recuperator is a primary surface counter flow heat exchanger with cross corrugated duct configuration. The primary heat transfer surface plate patterns are stamped and a pair of the plates are laser welded to form an air cell. The air cells are then stacked and laser welded together to form the recuperator core which is tied between two end beams. Manifolds for air inlet and outlet as well as piping system are welded to the core. Through varying the number of air cells the recuperator core can easily be adapted for micro-gas turbine applications with different output rates of electrical power. The key manufacturing technologies are stamping of the air cell plates and laser welding of the air cells. These processes can be fully automated for mass production at low costs.