Open AccessInvestigation of instability on loop heat pipe with flat evaporator
Author(s) -
Dongxing Gai,
Yuhang Yin,
Chen Chen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/467/1/012024
Subject(s) - loop heat pipe , condenser (optics) , working fluid , evaporator , mechanics , materials science , heat pipe , subcooling , thermodynamics , micro loop heat pipe , heat transfer , condensation , heat sink , optics , physics , heat exchanger , light source
Loop heat pipes (LHPs) are heat transfer devices whose operating principle are based on the evaporation and condensation of a working fluid, using the capillary pumping forces to ensure the fluid circulation. A series of tests have been carried out with a loop heat pipe (LHP) with flat evaporator and a fin-and-tube type condenser. At some low heat loads, temperature oscillations were observed throughout the loop. Detailed study was conducted on the characteristics of temperature oscillation of the flat LHP at various heat loads. It is expected that the compensation chamber is the most critical component of the LHP; its hydrodynamic state dictates the extent and the characteristics of the temperature oscillations. The heat leakage from the evaporator to the compensation chamber, the heat loss to ambient and the subcooled liquid temperature dictate the vapor condition inside the compensation chamber, and the rate of vapor growth or dissipation dictated the nature of the temperature oscillation. The effects of different working fluid to the temperature oscillations were studied in detail.