Comprehensive review of heat exchanger technology for marine heat pumps: Geometries, performance, and challenges

Laboratory of Mechanics, Processes, Energy and Environment (LMPEE), National School of Applied Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco

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Abstract

Marine heat pumps are a renewable solution for heating and cooling that harnesses the thermal energy stored in seawater. This study provides a review of recent advances in heat pumps, covering five main configurations: double-tube helical heat exchangers, nanofluid-based heat exchangers, staggered tube bundle heat exchangers, capillary coils and plate heat exchangers, whilst examining the three dimensions of system performance: energy, environmental and economic. However, the marine environment poses major challenges that cause operational issues and limit the performance of marine heat pumps, such as fluctuations in seawater temperature, biofouling, corrosion, high salinity and thermal pollution. These challenges directly affect the performance of heat exchangers in marine heat pumps by accelerating material degradation and causing thermal resistance. To resolve these issues, efforts must be made to develop corrosion-resistant materials and heat exchangers with optimized configurations that enhance heat transfer and reduce pressure drops, as well as to utilize efficient fluids such as nanofluids at specified concentrations. The results highlight the need for innovative solutions to ensure the smooth operation of high-performance systems that address all three dimensions by effectively tackling these hostile challenges.