Sodium-Potassium Alloy Heat Pipe under Geyser Boiling Experimental Study: Heat Transfer Analysis

Hongzhe Zhang, Fang Ye, Hang Guo and Xiaoke Yan
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Hongzhe Zhang: MOE Key Laboratory of Enhanced Heat Transfer and Energy Conservation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Energy Conversion, College of Energy and Power Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Fang Ye: MOE Key Laboratory of Enhanced Heat Transfer and Energy Conservation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Energy Conversion, College of Energy and Power Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Hang Guo: MOE Key Laboratory of Enhanced Heat Transfer and Energy Conservation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Energy Conversion, College of Energy and Power Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Xiaoke Yan: National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100013, China

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: In the geyser boiling mode, the working fluid state is divided into a boiling process and a quiet process, and the sodium-potassium (Na-K) alloy heat pipe can discontinuously transfer heat at each boiling. The overheating of the liquid working fluid at the bottom causes short-term boiling and forms slug bubble, the strong condensing ability quickly conducts heat from the evaporator section. And geyser boiling can occur before the working fluid forms continuous flow, so it transfers more heat at lower temperatures than natural convection cooling. In this study, the heat transfer process of a Na-K alloy heat pipe with forced convection cooling under different heating power was experimental studied. The geyser boiling mode can make the Na-K alloy heat pipe work below 650 °C and reduce the start-up time. In the process of geyser boiling, the heat transfer quantity was increased by the boiling frequency and the amount of vapor produced in a single boiling. The boiling temperature had no obvious change with the increased of heating power, and the condenser section temperature increased with the heating power.

Keywords: sodium-potassium alloy; geyser boiling; forced convection cooling; start-up performance; heat transfer performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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