HEAT TRANSFER DEVICE FOR THE TRANSPORT OF LARGE CONDUCTION FLUX WITHOUT NET MASS TRANSFER

摘要

HEAT TRANSFER DEVICE, FOR THE TRANSPORT OF LARGECONDUCTION FLUX WITHOUT NET MASS TRANSFERABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA device for the transport of largeconduction heat flux between two locations ofdiffering temperature includes a pair of fluidreservoirs for positioning at the respective locationsconnected by at least one duct, and preferably aplurality of ducts, having walls of a material whichconducts heat. A heat transfer fluid, preferably aliquid, and preferably a liquid metal such as mercury,lithium or sodium, fills both reservoirs and theconnecting ducts. An oscillatory axial movement orflow of working fluid is established within the ducts,with the extent of fluid movement being less than theduct length. Preferably the oscillatory movement issinusoidal. Heat is transferred radially between thefluid and the duct walls and thence axially along theducts. The rate of heat transfer is greatly enhancedby a physical mechanism which may be described as ahigh time-dependent radial temperature gradientproduced by fluid oscillations. During most of eachsinusoidal cycle, fluid in the wall-near region has atemperature different from the core of thefluid column, with most of the temperature differenceconcentrated across a relatively thin boundary layer.