Relationship between phase distribution and heat-transfer coefficient of loop heat pipe evaporator investigated by lateral observation of porous media

Abstract

Loop heat pipes (LHPs) can be passively operated, require no electric power, and can be flexibly arranged, making them promising in thermal control systems for both terrestrial and aerospace applications. Understanding the two-phase state in the porous media of a capillary evaporator induced by nucleate boiling is key to enhancing the evaporator performance. This study visualized the liquid–vapor (L–V) phase distribution on the contact surface between the cylindrical evaporator casing and the wick to investigate the L–V phase distribution and to figure out its relationship with the evaporator heat-transfer coefficient. The visualization was successfully realized under conditions similar to those observed in a practical environment using a sapphire tube as the evaporator casing. The observation results showed that the wick underwent a phase transition from a liquid-saturated state to a two-phase state under the effect of nucleate boiling, and the evolution of the L–V phase distribution on the contact surface with varying heat load could be determined. The heat-transfer coefficient peaked immediately after the nucleate boiling and then decreased with increasing heat load. The three-phase contact line (TPCL) within the casing, liquid, and vapor phases showed a similar trend; however, the saturation on the contact surface was different, decreasing quickly after the nucleate boiling, followed by a gradual decrease. The correlation coefficients between the heat-transfer coefficient and the saturation/TPCL length were −0.61 and 0.83 under all heat load conditions, respectively. The characteristics of the heat-transfer coefficient as a function of the heat load were found to correspond to those of the TPCL length rather than the saturation. This finding can aid in the design of microscopically optimized porous media by additive manufacturing.