IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i12p3195-d1681638.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

High-Temperature Molten Salt Heat Exchanger Technology: Research Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Chunyang Zheng

    (Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China)

  • Keyong Cheng

    (Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    Nanjing Institute of Future Energy System, Nanjing 210000, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China)

  • Dongjiang Han

    (Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China)

Abstract

Molten salt heat exchangers are pivotal components in advanced energy systems, where their high-temperature stability and efficient heat transfer performance are critical for system reliability. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in molten salt heat exchanger technology, focusing on their application in nuclear energy, concentrated solar power, and thermal energy storage systems. Key design considerations, including thermophysical properties of molten salts and operational conditions, are analyzed to highlight performance optimization strategies. The review traces the evolution from traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers to compact designs like printed circuit heat exchangers, emphasizing improvements in heat transfer efficiency and power density. Challenges such as material corrosion, manufacturing complexities, and flow dynamics are critically examined. Furthermore, future research directions are proposed, including the development of high-performance materials, advanced manufacturing techniques, and optimized geometries. This review aims to consolidate dispersed research findings, address technological bottlenecks, and provide a roadmap for the continued development of molten salt heat exchangers in high-temperature energy systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunyang Zheng & Keyong Cheng & Dongjiang Han, 2025. "High-Temperature Molten Salt Heat Exchanger Technology: Research Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-37, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:12:p:3195-:d:1681638
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3195/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3195/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:12:p:3195-:d:1681638. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.