Zhao Yun

Recently, in the Third China Dual-Use Technology Innovation and Application Contest Final (Changsha),the CSIC No.725 Research Institute won a bronze award for its project “Efficient Compact Printed Circuit Board Heat Exchanger (PCHE)”. “A few years ago, this was a ‘strangling’ product domestically. But after several years of hard work, we broke the foreign monopoly,filled in the domestic blank, completed the development of a domestic prototype of PCHE, and built a small batch supply capacity.” In an interview with our reporter, the project team said: “Since the 12th Five-Year Plan, No.725 Research Institute has been actively studying the PCHE product, and successfully broken through all key technologies of PCHE.”

“Finally, we can compete with international products to meet the needs of domestic users,” the judges said while commenting on PCHE on the final site. Previously constrained by overseas technology, domestic enterprises had to buy it at high costs, today, the previous“strangling” product has developed into a domestic technology.

Glory is at hand, but the road is endless. Next, No.725 Research Institute will complete the construction of industrial grade products and develop the next generation of upgraded products in a bid to push the PCHE technology to the higher end, the project director said.

With Concentrated R&D, Market is Promising

“Before 2018, industrial-grade PCHE was monopolized by foreign companies, and all PCHEs used in China were imported. As one of the key equipment in marine floating devices,energy power generation and power systems, PCHE is a national major product in urgent need,” said the No.725 Research Institute project team leader .

In recent years, the proportion of clean energy consumption in the world has been increasing, and more attention has been paid to the development and utilization of clean energy in China. The project of carbon dioxide power generation system experimental platform, the fourth generation nuclear power plant high temperature gas cooled reactor are put on the agenda, the South China Sea resources exploration and utilization becomes the focal point. In this context, PCHE has become an important part of related equipment.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, under the condition of mature technical reserves, No.725 Research Institute carried out the prototype manufacturing of the PCHE project,broke through all the key technologies of the PCHE, and applied for two national patents, completed the research content of the project,developed a prototype of the wholly domestic PCHE, and built a small batch supply capacity.

“At present, we have broken the foreign technology monopoly, the product has certain competitiveness at home.” The head of the project team said that this year, the national key project “Deep-sea Key Technologies and Equipment” clearly puts forward floating liquefied natural gas production,storage and unloading device (FLNG)equipment requirements for PCHE.Obviously, processes of natural gas extraction, liquefaction, transportation,and gasification are inseparable from PCHE.

The team said that the PCHE itself is a clean and environmentally friendly product with considerable energysaving effects, and the economic benefits it can bring are even more impressive. It is estimated that by 2022,the demand for PCHE will be about 500 units, valued at about 2.5 billion~5 billion yuan.

In the field of offshore engineering,PCHE can substantially reduce the construction cost of offshore engineering equipment, and can be used in marine engineering equipment such as ocean platform, floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and FLNG.In the field of energy development, new energy power generation technologies of natural gas, nuclear power, solar thermal power (STP) and so on, will become the main means to energy acquisition in the future. These new energy systems are in urgent need of PCHE.

Open a second cooperation with the help of the platform

“This is our second time to participate in the dual-use technology innovation application contest. This time, we mainly want to further promote the product and find more customer resources through the platform,” said the project team leader, “But after a few days, we found that this was not just a stage for showing ourselves, but rather an integrated platform for technological communication.”

Among competitors on the same stage, there are competitors with very tight scores, but more are allies with a technical highlight.

“In the conversation, we learned a lot about civilian technology and saw other quality projects. Through the platform of innovative applications for both military and civilian use,I feel that in some projects, we can also cooperate twice, and through the absorption, digestion, and reuse of technology, reach the new technological peak,” said the head of the project team.

In this competition, the awardwinning project can be rewarded by the Organizing Committee of the Contest and the Changsha City Government.The project team said the bonus will be used to reward R&D talents and improve project R&D. “The core members of our team are dedicated to technology development and do their best without distractions. The reward is an affirmation of the continuous efforts made over the years,” said the head of the project team.

Crowning with honor does not mean that the way forward is now an end. “We have a clearer goal for the next step,developing products with bigger powerful and boosting the PCHE technology to the higher end. We are to dash from shoulder-to-shoulder runner to the pace setter,” he said.

“We deeply feel Changsha's enthusiasm. In future, we hope the Changsha City Government can strengthen communication with the No.725 Institute, complement each other's strengths, and explore a new mode of cooperation and development.We will be constructive to the better promotion and application of the dualuse technology in Changsha,” said the principal.