YUHONG GROUP Delivers Supercritical CO₂ Heat Exchangers for sCO₂ Power Cycles and Heat Pumps

YUHONG HOLDING GROUP, a leading ASME-certified manufacturer of heat exchangers, pressure vessels and fired heaters, is strengthening its engineering and production capability for supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) heat exchangers, responding to rapidly growing demand from next-generation power generation, concentrated solar power (CSP), small modular reactors (SMR) and industrial heat pump applications.

Supercritical carbon dioxide refers to CO₂ maintained above its critical point (31.1 °C and 7.38 MPa), where the fluid behaves as a dense, liquid-like gas with excellent heat transfer characteristics. In sCO₂ Brayton power cycles, this unique state delivers substantially higher thermal efficiency — up to 50% or more, compared with roughly 40% for conventional steam Rankine cycles — while enabling turbomachinery and heat exchangers that are up to ten times more compact. Because sCO₂ cycles can be closed-loop and water-free, they are widely regarded as one of the most promising pathways for low-carbon power and industrial heat.

• Higher efficiency: sCO₂ Brayton cycles can achieve 50%+ net efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions per MWh.
• Compact footprint: The dense supercritical fluid allows dramatically smaller heat exchangers and turbines than equivalent steam systems.
• Water-free operation: The closed-loop CO₂ working fluid eliminates water consumption and cold-end losses, ideal for arid regions and CSP plants.
• Broad applications: Concentrated solar power towers, advanced nuclear (SMR), waste heat recovery, shipboard power and high-temperature heat pumps.
• Commercial momentum: Major demonstration plants — including Allam-cycle natural gas sCO₂ projects — are advancing rapidly toward commercial operation worldwide.

sCO₂ heat exchangers operate under extreme conditions — design pressures up to 25 MPa and temperatures ranging from low-temperature recuperator levels to 700 °C at the high-temperature end. This demands rigorous thermal and mechanical design, specialized materials and code-compliant fabrication. YUHONG HOLDING GROUP addresses these challenges with:

• Three ASME-certified facilities in Jiangsu (Jiangyin, Jinjiang and Yancheng) covering 184,000 square meters
• TEMA-standard shell-and-tube design and fabrication, including high-pressure channel, tubesheet and nozzle configurations
• Materials expertise in stainless steel (304/316L), duplex and super duplex steel, and high-temperature alloys for sCO₂ service
• ASME Section VIII and Section IX qualified welding, full NDT (RT, UT, PT, MT) and hydrostatic / pneumatic pressure testing
• Annual manufacturing capacity exceeding 3,600 units of thermal equipment, supported by 730 skilled workers

Since 1990, YUHONG HOLDING GROUP has served more than 3,000 customers across export markets accounting for 80–90% of its sales, delivering code-compliant thermal equipment for refineries, petrochemical plants, power stations and new-energy systems. With its proven ASME quality system, experienced engineering team and large-scale fabrication capacity, the company is well positioned to support EPC contractors, turbine OEMs and plant developers bringing sCO₂ technology to commercial scale.

For inquiries about supercritical CO₂ heat exchangers, sCO₂ power cycle equipment or custom ASME pressure vessels, please contact the YUHONG HOLDING GROUP sales and engineering team.