Analysis of the heat transfer coefficient of grooved heat pipe evaporator walls

Abstract

A model for the radial heat transfer of a grooved heat pipe evaporator is presented. It combines the solution of a two-dimensional heat conduction problem with the calculation of the shape of the liquid-vapour interface and its temperature, taking into account the influence of meniscus curvature and adhesion forces on the volatility of the liquid. It is shown that the common assumption of an interface temperature equal to the saturation temperature of the vapour can lead to a large overprediction of the radial heat transfer coefficient.