Analytical Investigation of the Heat-Transfer Limits of a Novel Solar Loop-Heat Pipe Employing a Mini-Channel Evaporator

Thierno M. O. Diallo, Min Yu, Jinzhi Zhou, Xudong Zhao, Jie Ji and David Hardy
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Thierno M. O. Diallo: School of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Min Yu: School of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Jinzhi Zhou: School of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Xudong Zhao: School of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Jie Ji: Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
David Hardy: School of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: This paper presents an analytical investigation of heat-transfer limits of a novel solar loop-heat pipe developed for space heating and domestic hot water use. In the loop-heat pipe, the condensate liquid returns to the evaporator via small specially designed holes, using a mini-channel evaporator. The study considered the commonly known heat-transfer limits of loop-heat pipes, namely, the viscous, sonic, entrainment, boiling and heat-transfer limits due to the two-phase pressure drop in the loop. The analysis considered the main factors that affect the limits in the mini-channel evaporator: the operating temperature, mini-channel aspect ratio, evaporator length, evaporator inclination angle, evaporator-to-condenser height difference and the dimension of the holes. It was found that the entrainment is the main governing limit of the system operation. With the specified loop design and operational conditions, the solar loop-heat pipe can achieve a heat-transport capacity of 725 W. The analytical model presented in this study can be used to optimise the heat-transfer capacity of the novel solar loop-heat pipe.

Keywords: solar loop-heat pipe; mini-channel evaporator; solar collector; heat transfer; limit (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: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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