An Effect of Binary Fluid on the Thermal Performance of Pulsation Heat Pipe

Abstract

A pulsation heat pipe is an efficient heat pipe used in many engineering applications. This study aims to test the effect of working fluids on the thermal performance of pulsation heat pipe. Seven turned pulsation heat pipes were designed and manufactured from a copper pipe with a <i>3.5 mm</i> inner diameter. The lengths of an evaporation part, an adiabatic passage, and a condenser part were <i>300 mm</i>, <i>210 mm</i>, and <i>300 mm</i>, respectively. In this study, three different fluids were used as the working fluid: distilled water, methanol, and binary fluid (a mixture of water and methanol) with a <i>50%</i> filling ratio. Compared to water, the experimental results suggested that methanol had a better thermal performance when used as a working fluid in the <i>PHP</i>. On the other hand, a binary fluid enhanced the lower thermal performance of water (<i>29%</i> reduction in the thermal resistance and a <i>20%</i> increase in the effective thermal conductivity of the <i>PHP</i>).