Analysis of Microheat Pipes With Axial Conduction in the Solid Wall

Abstract

A one-dimensional, steady-state model of a triangular microheat pipe (MHP) is developed, with the main purpose of investigating the thermal effects of the solid wall on the heat transport capacity of an MHP. The energy equation of the solid wall is solved analytically to obtain the axial temperature distribution, the average of which over the entire length of the MHP is simply its operating temperature. Next, the liquid phase is coupled with the solid wall by a heat transfer coefficient. Then, the continuity, momentum, and energy equations of the liquid and vapor phases are, together with the Young–Laplace equation, solved numerically to yield the heat and fluid flow characteristics of the MHP. The heat transport capacity and the associated optimal charge level of the working fluid are predicted for different operating conditions. Comparison between the models with and without a solid wall reveals that the presence of the solid wall induces a change in the phase change heat transport by the working fluid, besides facilitating axial heat conduction in the solid wall. The analysis also highlights the effects of the thickness and thermal conductivity of the solid wall on its axial temperature distribution. Finally, while the contribution of the thermal effects of the solid wall on the heat transport capacity of the MHP is usually not dominant, it is, nevertheless, not negligible either.