EFFECT OF INCLINATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF AXIAL ROTATING HEAT PIPES

摘要

An experimental study was performed to investigate the effect of inclination on the heat transfer characteristics of axial rotating heat pipes. Measurements were taken with a cylindrical and a 2 degree tapered condenser heat pipe with different fluid loadings. Tests were performed with the heat pipes in the horizontal and 5 degree inclined orientations, where the evaporator was above the condenser, at rotational speeds of 2,000 to 4,000 RPM. The heat transfer and dryout characteristics of the heat pipes in the inclined orientation were different from the horizontal case, especially for the tapered heat pipe. The experimental results are in general agreement with predictions from a modified high-speed rotating heat pipe model for the horizontal case, but showed a large discrepancy for the inclined orientation.