Boiling heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids in a flat heat pipe evaporator with micro-grooved heating surface

An experimental study was performed to understand the nucleate boiling heat transfer of water–CuO nanoparticles suspension (nanofluids) at different operating pressures and different nanoparticle mass concentrations. The experimental apparatus is a miniature flat heat pipe (MFHP) with micro-grooved heat transfer surface of its evaporator. The experimental results indicate that the operating pressure has great influence on the nucleate boiling characteristics in the MFHP evaporator. The heat transfer coefficient and the critical heat flux (CHF) of nanofluids increase greatly with decreasing pressure as compared with those of water. The heat transfer coefficient and the CHF of nanofluids can increase about 25% and 50%, respectively, at atmospheric pressure whereas about 100% and 150%, respectively, at the pressure of 7.4 kPa. Nanoparticle mass concentration also has significant influence on the boiling heat transfer and the CHF of nanofluids. The heat transfer coefficient and the CHF increase slowly with the increase of the nanoparticle mass concentration at low concentration conditions. However, when the nanoparticle mass concentration is over 1.0 wt%, the CHF enhancement is close to a constant number and the heat transfer coefficient deteriorates. There exists an optimum mass concentration for nanofluids which corresponds to the maximum heat transfer enhancement and this optimum mass concentration is 1.0 wt% at all test pressures. The experiment confirmed that the boiling heat transfer characteristics of the MFHP evaporator can evidently be strengthened by using water/CuO nanofluids.     

Theoretical modelling of miniature loop heat pipe

Development in the design and thermal performance of the loop heat pipes (LHPs) demands the corresponding improvement in the theoretical modeling capabilities of these devices. In this paper, mathematical model for assessing the thermal performance of the miniature LHPs (mLHPs) on the basis of the operating temperature and thermal resistance of the loop has been discussed in detail. In order to validate the theoretical model, a mLHP with the flat disk shaped evaporator, 30 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick, was developed and tested with nickel and copper wick structure. By comparison with experimental results, it was found that the theoretical model was able to predict the evaporator temperature and loop thermal resistance very well and within the uncertainties imposed by the underlying assumptions. The mathematical model can be used to validate the design of the mLHP and verify whether the proposed design is consistent with the maximum heat load capacity required for the intended application. In addition to this, the model can assists in understanding and refining the outcomes of the experimental studies.     

Heat transfer mechanism of miniature loop heat pipe with water-copper nanofluid: thermodynamics model and experimental study

In order to ensure the normal work of electronic product, the thermal management is of key importance. Miniature loop heat pipe (mLHP) is a promising device of heat transfer for electronic products. Cu-water nanofluid with different concentration is used as working material in mLHP. Experiments are conducted to investigate its heat transfer performance. The heat flux owing to thermal diffusion is calculated. It is found that this heat flux and the boiling temperature are non-monotonic function of concentration of nanoparticle. Turning concentration appears at about 1.5 wt%. Differential equation of thermal diffusion produced by micro movement of nanoparticle is established in this paper. Average speed formula for nanoparticles is derived and slope of the curve of phase equilibrium is obtained. Based on the theoretical research in this paper, enhanced heat transfer mechanism of nanofluid is analyzed. The facts that heat flux owing to thermal diffusion and boiling temperature are all associated with nanoparticle concentration are also well explained with the aid of the derived theory in this paper.     

A study of loop heat pipe with biporous wicks

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of various bimodal pore size distributions of biporous wicks for a loop heat pipe (LHP). The study was conducted following a statistical method using a two-level factorial plan involving three variables (particle size of pore former:74–88 and 125–149 μm Na₂CO₃, pore former content:20% by volume and 25% by volume, sintering temperature:700 and 750°C). Finally, the heat transport capability of the LHP between monoporous wicks and biporous wicks has been investigated. Experimental results show that, at the sink temperature of 10°C and the allowable evaporator temperature of 80°C, the heat transfer capacity of the better biporous wick achieved 200 W and the total thermal resistance was 0.31°C/W. The performance is enhanced about 60%, compared to a monoporous wick for 125 W and 0.53°C/W. Therefore, LHPs with biporous wicks are very attractive for high heat flux applications in the future.     

Thermodynamic analytical model of a loop heat pipe

A thermodynamics analytical model is developed to explore different parameters effects on a loop heat pipe (LHP). The LHP is a two-phase device with extremely high effective thermal conductivity that utilizes the thermodynamic pressure difference to circulate a cooling fluid. The effects of pipe length, pipe diameter, condenser temperature, and heat load are reported. As pipe length increases and/or pipe diameter decreases, a higher temperature is expected in the evaporator.     

Theoretical investigation on thermal performance of heat pipe flat plate solar collector with cross flow heat exchanger

Based on the heat transfer characteristics of absorber plate and the heat transfer effectiveness-number of heat transfer unit method of heat exchanger, a new theoretical method of analyzing the thermal performance of heat pipe flat plate solar collector with cross flow heat exchanger has been put forward and validated by comparisons with the experimental and numerical results in pre-existing literature. The proposed theoretical method can be used to analyze and discuss the influence of relevant parameters on the thermal performance of heat pipe flat plate solar collector.     

Investigation and analysis on a cellular heat pipe flat solar heater

A new cellular heat pipe flat solar energy collector is introduced, and the thermal performance of the new solar heater comprised by water heat pipe or acetone heat pipe is tested. The results are compared with the performance of the evacuated glass tube solar heater. It is found that: the heat loss coefficient of the cellular heat pipe flat solar heater is 54% less than that of the evacuated glass tube solar heater, while the daily average efficiency of solar absorbency is 15% higher, when the water temperature of heating is lower than 65°C. In conclusion, the thermal performance of such new solar heater is better than that of evacuated glass tube solar heater or ordinary flat solar heater, both of which are still popular in China. This new solar energy application promises to be a prosperous technology.     

Thermal performance of an open loop closed end pulsating heat pipe

This paper presents an experimental study of an open loop pulsating heat pipe (OLPHP) of 0.9 mm inner diameter. The performance characterization has been done using four working fluids at vertical and horizontal orientations. Water, Methanol, 2-Propanol and Acetone has been employed as the working fluid with 50% fill ratio. The experimental results indicate a strong influence of gravity and thermo physical properties of the working fluids on the performance of OLPHP. Considering all the working fluids used, Water has shown better thermal performance in vertical orientation while Methanol has shown better performance in horizontal orientation. All the working fluids perform better at horizontal orientation.     

The experimental study on flat plate heat pipe of magnetic working fluid

An effective thermal spreader can achieve uniform heat flux distribution and thus enhance heat dissipation of heat sinks. Flat plate heat pipe is one of the highly effective thermal spreaders. Magnetic fluid is liquid and can be moved by the force of magnetic field. Therefore, the magnetic fluid is suitable to be used as the working fluid of flat plate heat pipes which have a very small gap between evaporation and condensation surfaces. We prepared a disk-shaped wickless flat plate heat pipe, and the distance between evaporation and condensation surfaces is only 1 mm. From experimental study, the effect of heat flux and working fluid ratio on the performance of flat plate heat pipe is presented. Also we compared the experimental results between the performance of water and magnetic fluid as working fluids.     

Inverse thermal analysis of the drying zone of the evaporator of an axially grooved heat pipe

An inverse approach is performed to characterize the thermal behaviour of an axially grooved heat pipe, in steady state, for various operating conditions. For this purpose, an experimental set up, as well as a network conduction model, are developed to simulate the heat transfer in the wall at the evaporator section. The minimization of an objective function, taking into account the discrepancy between measured temperatures and computed ones, allows then the estimation of a heat transfer coefficient as well as the drying out front positions for all the axial grooves. Hence, at the burnout point, the significant temperature increase in the evaporator extremity is considered to be a direct consequence of the restriction of the evaporative zone. Therefore, the distribution of liquid phase in the capillary structure of the heat pipe can be obtained through the analysis of the measured temperature gradient in the evaporator section where the dry out front was expected to occur. Furthermore, the dry out front expansion can be observed when the input heat load is increased or when the adiabatic temperature is decreased. Introducing an adverse tilt angle also shows the effect of the puddle.     

Relation between evaporator and condenser lengths of a finless heat pipe to achieve a maximum heat flow per unit weight

Generally, it is an economic advantage to operate a heat pipe in a condition where the ratio of heat flow rate, Q, to mass, m, is a maximum. It is shown that a maximum of the function Q/m may be obtained if the ratio between the evaporator and the condenser lengths is optimum. To achieve this optimization, all the other geometrical elements of the heat pipe and the heat transfer coefficients are considered constants, the only variables being the two lengths.     

Effect of pore size distribution in bidisperse wick on heat transfer in a loop heat pipe

The purpose of this article is to experimentally investigate the effect of different pore size distributions in bidisperse wicks upon the heat transfer performance in a LHP. Three bidisperse wicks and one monoporous wick were tested in a loop heat pipe. The pore size distributions of the bidisperse wicks were measured, and the results reflected the three different large/small pore size ratios. The experiments showed that the maximum heat load of the monoporous wick reached about 400 W; and the three bidisperse wicks showed improvements on the maximum heat load up to 570 W. For the monoporous wick, the evaporator heat transfer coefficients of 10 kW/m² K and total thermal resistance of 0.19°C/W were achieved at a high heat load of 400 W. For the better bidisperse wick, the evaporator heat transfer coefficients could attain about 23 kW/m² K and total thermal resistance of 0.13°C/W. The results also indicated that a smaller cluster size in a bidisperse structure created a small pore size ratio. It was also found that the bidisperse wick with smaller clusters had a better enhancement in terms of the evaporator heat transfer coefficient.     

Two phase flow and heat transfer characteristics of a separate-type heat pipe

Two phase flow and heat transfer characteristics of a separate-type heat pipe have been studied experimentally and theoretically. The experimental apparatus have the same geometry for the evaporator and the condenser which consist of 5-tube-banks, with working temperature ranges of 80–125°C. The experimental working fluid is dual-distilled water with corrosion-resistant agents. Heat transfer coefficients for boiling and condensation along with heat flux and working temperature are measured at different filling ratio. According to the results of the experiments, the optimized filling ratio ranges from 16 to 36%. Fitted correlations of average heat transfer coefficients of the evaporator and Nusselt numbers of the condenser at the proposed filling ratio are obtained. Two phase flow characteristics of the evaporator and the condenser as well as their influence on heat transfer are described on the basis of simplified analysis. Reasons for the pulse-boiling process remain to be studied.     

Two-phase flow patterns of a top heat mode closed loop oscillating heat pipe with check valves (THMCLOHP/CV)

This research is aimed at studying the two-phase flow pattern of a top heat mode closed loop oscillating heat pipe with check valves. The working fluids used are ethanol and R141b and R11 coolants with a filling ratio of 50% of the total volume. It is found that the maximum heat flux occurs for the R11 coolant used as the working fluid in the case with the inner diameter of 1.8 mm, inclination angle of ?90?, evaporator temperature of 125?C, and evaporator length of 50 mm. The internal flow patterns are found to be slug flow/disperse bubble flow/annular flow, slug flow/disperse bubble flow/churn flow, slug flow/bubble flow/annular flow, slug flow/disperse bubble flow, bubble flow/annular flow, and slug flow/annular flow.     

An experimental study on an oscillating loop heat pipe consisting of three interconnected columns

This paper presents some experimental results of an extensive research on a novel oscillating heat pipe. The heat pipe is formed of three interconnected columns as different from the pulsating heat pipe designs. The dimensions of the heat pipe considered in this study are large enough to neglect the effect of capillary forces. Thus, the self-oscillation of the system is driven by the gravitational force and the phase lag between the evaporation and condensation processes. The overall heat transfer coefficient is found to be approximately constant irrespective of heat load for the experimental cases considered. The results are also compared with the previously published data by other investigators for water as the working fluid and for the same heat input range. The experimental data for the time variation of the liquid column heights and the vapor pressure are correlated algebraically, convenient for practical uses.     

Convective heat transfer characteristics of laminar pulsating pipe air flow

 Heat transfer characteristics to laminar pulsating pipe flow under different conditions of Reynolds number and pulsation frequency were experimentally investigated. The tube wall of uniform heat flux condition was considered. Reynolds number was varied from 780 to 1987 while the frequency of pulsation ranged from 1 to 29.5 Hz. The results showed that the relative mean Nusselt number is strongly affected by pulsation frequency while it is slightly affected by Reynolds number. The results showed enhancements in the relative mean Nusselt number. In the frequency range of 1–4 Hz, an enhancement up to 30% (at Reynolds number of 1366 and pulsation frequency of 1.4 Hz) was obtained. In the frequency range of 17–25 Hz, an enhancement up to 9% (at Reynolds number of 1366 and pulsation frequency of 17.5 Hz) was indicated. The rate of enhancement of the relative mean Nusselt number decreased as pulsation frequency increased or as Reynolds number increased. A reduction in relative mean Nusselt number occurred outside these ranges of pulsation frequencies. A reduction in relative mean Nusselt number up to 40% for pulsation frequency range of 4.1–17 Hz and a reduction up to 20% for pulsation frequency range of 25–29.5 Hz for Reynolds numbers range of 780–1987 were considered. This reduction is directly proportional to the pulsation frequency. Empirical dimensionless equations have been developed for the relative mean Nusselt number that related to Reynolds number (750 < Re < 2000) and the dimensionless frequency (3<Ω<18) with about 10% rms. Received on 16 May 2000 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Effect of working fluid on the performance of a miniature heat pipe system for cooling desktop processor

The heat transfer performance of a miniature heat pipe system (MHPS) used for cooling a desktop computer processor is presented in this paper. The MHPS consists of 6 parallel cylindrical miniature heat pipes (MHPs) which are connected to a copper block at the evaporator section and which are provided with 15 parallel perpendicular copper sheets at the condenser section, used as external cooling fins. Acetone and ethanol are used as working fluids. As heat source a processor is employed which is attached to the copper block. Heat transfer characteristics of the individual MHPs and the complete MHPS using the two working fluids are experimentally determined. The results show that the maximum and steady state temperature of the processor has been significantly reduced by using MHPs with acetone, more than with ethanol, instead of a conventional finned aluminum heat sink with cooling fan. Additional use of a fan results in a much lower processor temperature for both working fluids.