High Speed Visualization and Dynamic Measurement of Heat Driven Pumps

Abstract

We provide the high speed flow visualization and dynamic measurement results for the U-shaped and the inverted U-shaped heat driven pumps. The U-shaped heat driven pumps at the high heating powers consist of a succession of tiny bubble nucleation, growth and coalescence process. Once the “larger” spherical bubble or the bubble slug forms, it expands quickly in both upstream and downstream directions. The increased pressure leads to the liquid discharge through the outlet check valve. When the advancing vapor/liquid interface reaches a higher position in the vertical discharge branch, the condensation heat transfer in the discharge branch shrinks the bubble slug, leading to the decreased pressure and initiating the open of the inlet check valve. Thus the fresh liquid can be sucked into the system. Heat driven pumps operating at the low heating powers display the similar process. However, two major differences are identified: (1) A full cycle includes a set of positive pressure pulses corresponding to a set of tiny bubble nucleation, growth and coalescence process in each substage. Only at the end of the cycle, an apparent negative pressure pulse is created. (2) For each substage in each cycle, when the newly formed bubble slug is chasing the ahead “old” bubble slug, the deformed liquid bridge is formed due to the gravity force effect. When the two bubble slugs are merging together, a wave vapor/liquid interface occurs along the bottom of the capillary tube. For the inverted U-shaped heat driven pumps, there are fewer positive pressure pulses included, corresponding to lesser number of new bubble nucleation, growth, and coalescence process. The bubble slug in the capillary tube is very standard with the smooth vapor/liquid interface. The cycle periods and the pumping flow rates are given versus the heating powers.