Numerical Modeling of a Wicked Heat Pipe Using Lumped Parameter Network Incorporating the Marangoni Effect

Abstract

This paper proposes a numerical model of wicked heat pipes using a lumped parameter network. A lumped parameter network of a screen mesh wicked heat pipe is developed for the solid and fluid regions. Nodal analysis is applied to each node using the principles of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. The resulting system of differential equations is solved using numerical integration. The lumped parameter model is validated using experimental results available from the literature. A parametric study is conducted to determine the effect of heat input, wick thickness, and effective wick porosity on the thermal resistance of the heat pipe. The interplay between heat input and pipe diameter of the heat pipe is investigated. A comparison of heat pipe with working fluid as water and self-rewetting fluids has been conducted. Self-rewetting fluids are found to give better performance for the wicked heat pipe.

Disclosure statement

On behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jibin Joy Kolliyil

Jibin Joy Kolliyil is a former MTech student at the heat transfer and thermal power laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India, under the supervision of Prof. C.Balaji. He received BTech and MTech degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and is presently working as Project Associate at IIT Madras.

Naresh Yarramsetty

Naresh Yarramsetty is a former Ph.D. student at the heat transfer and thermal power laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India, under the supervision of Prof. C.Balaji. He received his BTech from Acharya Nagarjuna University and MTech from NIT Surat in Mechanical Engineering. He is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NIT Surat.

Chakravarthy Balaji

Chakravarthy Balaji has received his BE in mechanical engineering from Guindy Engineering College and earned M.Tech and PhD from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India. He has served as faculty in NIT Trichy and senior project manager at NIOT Chennai, and is presently working as Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras, India.