Experimental investigation on the mode transition characteristics of a phase-change thermofluidic oscillator with external loads

Abstract

Phase-change thermofluidic oscillator has drawn significant attention thanks to its low operating temperature, which is beneficial for recovering low-grade heat. The vapor–liquid coupling oscillation in the thermofluidic oscillator leads to complex non-linear mode transition phenomenon that affects the steady operation. In this work, the mode transition characteristics of a thermofluidic oscillator with external loads (i.e., a needle valve and a load reservoir) are experimentally investigated through bifurcation analysis. A low-order van der Pol model is employed to examine the effect of acoustic resistance on mode transition. Experimental results demonstrate that modifying the valve opening and load volume under a constant temperature difference can trigger bifurcation, resulting in high-frequency limit cycle, low-frequency limit cycle and quasi-periodic modes. The non-linear features of each mode are revealed through phase space and Poincaré section, with Neimark-Sacker bifurcation, second bifurcation and inverse Neimark-Sacker bifurcation observed. Steady-state performance of oscillator is then characterized under different oscillation modes. The maximum pressure amplitudes measured are 11.54 kPa during the high-frequency oscillation and 1.35 kPa during the low-frequency oscillation, while the maximum displacement amplitudes obtained are 45.5 mm during the high-frequency oscillation and 91.4 mm during the low-frequency oscillation. The oscillation modes can be adjusted by external load to maximize output performance. This study offers comprehensive guidelines for constructing phase-change thermofluidic oscillators.