The Thermal—Flow Processes and Flow Pattern in a Pulsating Heat Pipe—Numerical Modelling and Experimental Validation

Przemysław Błasiak, Marcin Opalski, Parthkumar Parmar, Cezary Czajkowski and Sławomir Pietrowicz
Additional contact information
Przemysław Błasiak: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Marcin Opalski: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Parthkumar Parmar: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Cezary Czajkowski: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Sławomir Pietrowicz: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-26

Abstract: The aim of the article is to numerically model a two-dimensional multiphase flow based on the volume of fluid method (VOF) in a pulsating heat pipe (PHP). The current state of knowledge regarding the modeling of these devices was studied and summarised. The proposed model is developed within open source software, OpenFOAM, based on the predefined solver called interPhaseChangeFoam. The analyses were carried out in terms of the influence of four different mass transfer models between the phases, proposed by Tanasawa, Lee, Kafeel and Turan, and Xu et al. on the shape and dynamics of the internal flow structures. The numerical models were validated against data obtained from a specially designed experimental setup, consisting of three bends of pulsating heat pipes. The numerical calculations were carried out with ethanol being treated as a working medium and the initial and boundary conditions taken directly from the measurement procedures. The variable input parameter for the model was the heat flux implemented in the evaporation section and a fixed temperature applied to the condensation section. The flow structures obtained from the numerical analyses were compared and discussed with the flow structures gained from experimental studies by employing a high speed camera. In addition, to verify the quantitative results obtained from the numerical analyses with the experimental data, a technique called particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used for the velocity vector field. For the analysed velocity ranges, the relative error obtained was reached at the level of 10%.

Keywords: pulsating heat pipe; multiphase flow; numerical modelling; volume of fluid method (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 complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5952/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5952/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:18:p:5952-:d:639112

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().