Vapor Flow Analysis in Flat Plate Heat Pipes Using Homotopy Perturbation Method

Abstract

In the present study, an analytical solution for 2D vapor flow in flat plate heat pipes is presented. The governing equations are solved analytically using the homotopy perturbation method, and numerically using the finite volume method, based on collocated grids. The analytical results are obtained for nondimensional velocity profiles and axial pressures distribution along the entire length of the heat pipe, and compared with the numerical ones. It is shown that there is a relatively small difference of about 1% in the worst case between the analytical and numerical results. Furthermore, the effects of the Reynolds number and the ratio of condenser to evaporator lengths on the flow variables are discussed.