Study on a neon cryogenic oscillating heat pipe with long heat transport distance

Abstract

An experimental study is carried out to study the heat transfer characteristics of a cryogenic oscillating heat pipe (OHP) with long heat transport distance. The OHP is made up of a capillary tube with an inner diameter of 1.0 mm and an outer diameter of 2.0 mm. The working fluid is neon, and the length of the adiabatic section is 480 mm. Tests are performed with the different heat inputs, liquid filling ratios and condenser temperature. For the cryogenic OHP with a liquid filling ratio of 30.7% at the condenser temperature of 28 K, the effective thermal conductivity is 3466–30,854 W/m K, and the maximum transfer power is 35.60 W. With the increment of the heat input, the effective thermal conductivity of the cryogenic OHP increases at the liquid filling ratios of 30.7% and 38.5%, while it first increases and then decreases at the liquid filling ratios of 15.2% and 23.3%. Moreover, the effective thermal conductivity increases with decreasing liquid filling ratio at the small heat input, and the maximum transfer power first increases and then decreases with increasing liquid filling ratio. Finally, it is found that the thermal performance of the cryogenic OHP can be improved by increasing the condenser temperature.