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Thermo-Hydraulic Analysis of Semi-Transparent Flat Plate Pulsating Heat Pipes Tested in 1 g and Microgravity Conditions

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Abstract

Four Closed-Loop Flat Plate Pulsating Heat Pipes (FPPHP) with four different channel internal diameters have been tested under terrestrial (1 g), hyper (1.8-2 g) and micro-gravity conditions, during the ESA 64th Parabolic Flight campaign, at the same operating conditions (heat power range, cooling fluid temperature, vertical BHM orientation). During terrestrial gravity periods, the fluid stratifies with the liquid at the bottom of the system, and, in the lower part of the channels, where the heat is applied (Bottom Heated Mode), the thermo-hydraulic heat and mass transfer mode is purely linked to pool boiling, regardless the diameter. Instead, during microgravity periods, the fluid circulates naturally into a slug and plug flow pattern regime. Dry-out phenomena occur almost immediately after the change in gravity level followed by a fast motion of the liquid plugs, promoting a mass transfer through all PHP channels. A comparative analysis of the evaporator temperatures and the menisci velocities obtained through video post-processing, shows the influence of the channel diameter on the heat and mass transfers occurring inside the different PHPs. A quantitative comparison of the FPPHP thermal performance shows that, during microgravity transient phases, there is a limit of the channel diameter beyond which the thermal performances does not increase anymore, despite the decrease in viscous pressure losses.

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Abbreviations

A :

Surface (m2)

Bo :

Bond number

C :

Linear thermal inertia (Jm−1 K−1)

c p :

Heat capacity (Jkg−1 K−1)

D :

Diameter, dimension (m)

FPPHP:

Flat Plate Pulsating Heat Pipe

FR :

Filling ratio (%)

g :

Gravity acceleration (ms−2)

G :

Linear transverse conductance (WmK−1)

Im :

Greyscale image matrix

K :

Coefficient (−)

P :

Pressure (Pa)

PHP:

Pulsating Heat Pipe

\( \dot{q} \) :

Heat flux (Wm−2)

Q :

Heat power (W)

t :

time (s)

T :

Temperature (°C)

v :

Velocity (ms−1)

w :

Width (m)

x,y :

Coordinates (m)

ρ :

Density (kgm−3)

σ :

Surface tension (Nm−1)

II°:

Secondary cooling fluid

ch:

channel

cu:

copper

ev:

Evaporator

f:

fluid

hg:

hypergravity

l:

liquid

v:

vapor

μg:

microgravity

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by ESA MAP project INWIP “Innovative Wickless Heat Pipe Systems for Ground and Space Applications” within the ESA 64th parabolic flight campaign. The authors at University of Brighton would like also to acknowledge UK’s Engineering and Physical Science Research Council support through the grant EP/P013112/1. Special thanks must be given to NOVESPACE team in Bordeaux for their assistance, to V. Pletser, B. Toth from ESA, and to A. Piteau, J-C. Fraudeau, Y. Thomas for their technical assistance, and C. Lavallade for her administrative support. A thank also to Dr. Nicolas Miché for the support at the University of Brighton.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pprime Institut CNRS – ENSMA – Université de Poitiers, 1, av. Clément Ader, BP40109, 86961, UPR 3346, Futuroscope-Chasseneuil, France

    Vincent Ayel, Gildas Lalizel, Cyril Romestant & Yves Bertin

  2. School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brighton, Brighton, GN2 4GJ, UK

    Luca Pietrasanta & Marco Marengo

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  1. Vincent Ayel
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  2. Luca Pietrasanta
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  3. Gildas Lalizel
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  4. Cyril Romestant
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  5. Yves Bertin
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  6. Marco Marengo
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Correspondence to Vincent Ayel.

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This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Heat Pipe Systems for Thermal Management in Space

Guest Editors: Raffaele Savino, Sameer Khandekar

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Ayel, V., Pietrasanta, L., Lalizel, G. et al. Thermo-Hydraulic Analysis of Semi-Transparent Flat Plate Pulsating Heat Pipes Tested in 1 g and Microgravity Conditions. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 31, 403–415 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-019-9701-6

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