A Review of Working Fluids and Flow State Effects on Thermal Performance of Micro-Channel Oscillating Heat Pipe for Aerospace Heat Dissipation

Abstract

A MCOHP (micro-channel oscillating heat pipe) can provide lightweight and efficient temperature control capabilities for aerospace spacecraft with a high power and small size. The research about the heat flow effects on the thermal performance of MCOHPs is both necessary and essential for aerospace heat dissipation. In this paper, the heat flow effects on the thermal performance of MCOHPs are summarized and studied. The flow thermal performance enhancement changes of MCOHPs are given, which are caused by the heat flow work fluids of nano-fluids, gases, single liquids, mixed liquids, surfactants, and self-humidifying fluids. The use of graphene nano-fluids as the heat flow work medium can reduce the thermal resistance by 83.6%, which can enhance the maximum thermal conductivity by 105%. The influences of gravity and flow characteristics are also discussed. The heat flow pattern changes with the work stage, which affects the flow mode and the heat and mass transfer efficiency of OHP. The effective thermal conductivity varies from 4.8 kW/(m·K) to 70 kW/(m·K) when different gases are selected as the working fluid in OHP. The study of heat flow effects on the thermal performance of MCOHPs is conducive to exploring in-depth aerospace applications.