Prediction of heat transfer rate under transient condition in heat pipe heat exchanger using three-dimensional model

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a three-dimensional transient condition model to predict the heat transfer rate of a heat pipe heat exchanger. This paper presents the details of the calculated domains, which consist of the wall, wick, and vapor core. They were numerically simulated using the finite element method. The heat transfer rate values obtained from the model simulation can be used to design heat pipe heat exchangers. The values obtained from the model calculation were then compared with the results from experiments, and the differences were 10.3%, 10.4%, and 6.7% for the working fluids of distilled water, ethanol, and R134a, respectively. The working fluids of distilled water, ethanol, and R134a obtained heat transfer rates of 627.3 watts, 522.8 watts, and 836.4 watts from the experiments, respectively.