Parametric study of a novel gravity assisted loop heat pipe (galhp) with composite mesh-screen wick structure

Abstract

This article carried out a parametric study of the thermal performance of a novel gravity assisted loop heat pipe (GALHP) with composite mesh-screen wick structure. A refined threeway structure with interior liquid-vapour separator was developed on top of the evaporator to enable a gravity-assisted operation, which not only simplified the corresponding wick structure but also eliminated the ‘dry-out’ potential in conventional GALHPs. A dedicated simulation model was developed on basis of the heat transfer and the flow characteristics derived from the governing equations of mass, energy, and momentum. This model has been validated by authors’ experiment work with the ability to predict the GALHP thermal performance at a reasonable accuracy. It was found that the GALHP thermal performance, represented by the reciprocal of overall thermal resistance, varies directly with applied heat load, evaporator diameter, vapour-liquid separator diameter, and mass flow rate of cooling fluid in the jacket, but inversely with condensation temperature. The research results will be useful for further design, optimisation, and application of such GALHP in the gravity-assisted circumstance.