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Original scientific paper https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI160827009KThe objective of this study was to experimentally investigate the effects of working fluids and internal diameters on the thermal resistance of rotating closed-loop pulsating heat pipes (RCLPHP). The RCLPHP were made of a copper tube with internal diameters of 1.50 mm and 1.78 mm, bent into the shape of a flower petal, and arranged into a circle with 11 turns. The evaporator section was located at the outer end of the tube bundle. R123, ethanol, and water were filled as the working fluids. The RCLPHP was rotated at centrifugal accelerations 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 times of the gravitational acceleration considered at the connection between the evaporator and the condenser sections. The heat input was varied from 30 W to 50 W, and then to 100 W, 150 W, and 200 W. It can be concluded that when the latent heat of evaporation increases, the pressure difference between the evaporator and the condenser sections decreases, and the thermal resistance increases. Moreover, when the internal diameter increases, the driving force increases and the frictional force proportionally decreases, or the Karman number increases, and the thermal resistance decreases.

Objectives of this paper are to investigate the effects of dimensionless numbers on the thermal performance, and to establish correlations to predict the thermal performance of the vertical and a horizontal closed-loop pulsating heat pipe. The heat pipes were made of long copper capillary tubes with 26 meandering turns and both the ends were connected together to form a loop. R123, R141b, acetone, ethanol, and water were chosen as variable working fluids with a constant filling ratio of 50% by total volume. The inlet temperature of the heating medium and the adiabatic section temperature were constantly controlled and maintained at 80 °C and 50 °C, respectively. The thermal performance was represented in terms of the Kutateladze number. It can be concluded that when the Prandtl number of the liquid working fluid, as well as the Karman number, increases, the thermal performance increases. On the other hand, when the Bond number, the Jacob number, and the aspect ratio increase, the thermal performance decreases. These effects of the dimensionless numbers on the thermal performance are valid for both the heat pipes, except in the case of Bond number which has no effect on the thermal performance as far as the horizontal heat pipe is concerned. Moreover, correlations to predict thermal performance have been successfully established.

Objective of this study is to experimentally investigate the effect of centrifugal accelerations on thermal resistance of the rotating closed-loop pulsating heat pipe (RCLPHP). The RCLPHPs were made of a copper tube with internal diameter of 1.50 and 1.78 mm and bent into flower’s petal-shape and arranged into a circle with 11 turns. The evaporator section located at the outer end of the bundle while the condenser section placed around the center of the RCLPHP with no adiabatic section. Both sections had an identical length of 50 mm. R123, and ethanol was filled as working fluid respectively. The RCLPHP was installed on the test rig and it was rotated by the DC motor at the centrifugal acceleration of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 times of the gravitational acceleration considering at the connection between the evaporator and condenser section. Heat input was generated by electrical annular-plate heaters and varied from 30 to 50, 100, 150, and 200 W. Ceramic papers, wooden plate, and insulation sheet were consecutively attached on the outer side of the heaters in order to prevent the heat loss from the heater. It can be concluded that when the centrifugal acceleration increases, the thermal resistance continuously decreases since the condensate flows back to the evaporator section more rapidly.

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