ISSN Online: 2377-424X
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-474-8
ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-473-1
International Heat Transfer Conference 16
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF HEAT PIPE WITH VERIFICATION OF X-RAY CT
Abstract
To cool small portable electronic devices that generate large amounts of heat, the heat pipe is required downsizing and its performance improvement. The efficiency depends on the capillary-driven flow of the working fluid in the micro-meter grooves of the pipe's wall. This fundamental flow phenomenon has not been clarified. For this purpose, a numerical simulation of fluid flow through micrometer-scale grooves was performed and verified through X-ray computed tomography. In simulations, the lattice Boltzmann method was used to model two-phase flow in the groove. By employing a suitable interface model, simulations of the fluid dynamics realized large density differences between vapor and liquid water. As a result, liquid water was observed to move up inside the vertically set rectangular groove. The liquid phase appears wedge-shaped and the liquid moves up from the bottom of the groove. Furthermore, a numerical simulation was performed for various grooves of different aspect ratios but constant area cross-section. The results indicated that a deeper groove supported larger liquid transport.