Abstract
Heat pipes are the effective heat transfer devices capable of transmitting high heat fluxes rejected by modern day equipment. In the present study, an experimental investigation has been carried out to evaluate the enhancement in the thermal performance of mesh and sintered wick heat pipes charged with Al2O3/DI (Deionized water) nanofluid. Geometrical specifications of 12.7, 600 and 1 mm are selected as the outer diameter, length and wick thickness respectively and are kept constant for both sintered and mesh wick heat pipes. This work discusses about the effect of heat pipe inclination, type of working fluid and heat input on the thermal resistance and thermal efficiency. The results showed that the maximum reduction in thermal resistance is obtained for mesh wick heat pipe at 45° tilt angle and 60° for sintered wick heat pipe with Al2O3/DI water nanofluid concentration at 1.0 wt. % for both the cases. Further an enhancement in the thermal efficiency of 37.55% and 41.38% for mesh wick and sintered wick heat pipes respectively is observed for the same concentration. Experimental results show that the inclination angle has a strong effect on the thermal performance of heat pipes using both water and the nanofluid. Keywords: Inclination Angle, Mesh Wick Heat Pipe, Nanofluid, Sintered Wick Heat Pipe
Highlights
Thermal management system in modern day applications is currently a very important issue
The thermal resistance of heat pipe decreases with increasing nanofluid concentration and tilt angle for both type of heat pipes
The thermal resistance of heat pipe decreases with increasing nanofluid concentration and tilt angle for sintered wick and mesh wick type of heat pipes
Summary
Thermal management system in modern day applications is currently a very important issue. The heat pipe is a two phase highly effective heat transfer device over other conventional methods. It can transport large quantities of heat through a small cross-sectional area over a considerable distance with no external power input to the system. Experimental[1] investigation was carried out to study the thermal performance of a sintered-wick heat pipe with water as a working fluid at various inclinations with gravity assisted tilt. From the experimental results it is observed that, as the evaporator section is moving towards the ground the heat transporting ability of heat pipe is increasing up to 60° and from onwards it goes on decreasing
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