Numerical Investigation on Thermal Performance of Nanofluid-Assisted Wickless Heat Pipes for Electronic Thermal Management

Abstract

Heat pipes are passive heat transfer systems and serve as an effective thermal management solution for electronic devices. The adaptability of heat pipes makes these suited for a wide application range, especially in the field of electronic thermal management. The current study highlights the transient numerical analysis of wickless heat pipes (thermosyphons) for the thermal management of electronic devices. The thermal performance of the thermosyphon is analyzed using both copper oxide (CuO) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanofluids with their concentrations at 1% and 5%. Deionized (DI) water is employed as a reference case for comparison. The study is carried out for variable heat inputs to the thermosyphon ranging 10–50 W for a time interval of 30 s. The idea is to analyze the effect of the evaporator heat input and the nanoparticles concentration on the temperature, heat transfer coefficient, thermal resistance, and effective thermal conductivity of the heat pipe. The results indicate that CuO nanoparticles at a 5% concentration lead to a maximum thermal resistance reduction of 4.31% at 50 W, while alumina nanoparticles at the same concentration lead to a more substantial reduction of 6.66% at the same heat load. The evaporator temperature varies between 377.52 K to 374.99 K using deionized water, and 376.95 K to 374.29 K using CuO nanofluid (at 1% concentration). The heat pipe's evaporator attains its highest convective heat transfer coefficient (437.91 W/m2K) by using alumina nanofluid with 1% nanoparticle concentration at 50 W. Moreover, the effective thermal conductivity of the heat pipe is enhanced by 5% and 7% for copper oxide and aluminum oxide nanofluids (with 5% concentration), respectively, at 50 W. Thus, the nanofluids play a significant role in improving the efficiency and reliability of electronic components. These findings demonstrate the potential of using the nanofluids in thermosyphons to enhance their thermal performance in electronic cooling applications.