Experimental investigation on the thermal performance of double-condenser pulsating heat pipes

Abstract

This study is conducted to figure out the effect of condenser arrangement on the thermal performance of a pulsating heat pipe (PHP). The thermal characteristics of a single-condenser pulsating heat pipe (SCPHP) and a double-condenser pulsating heat pipe (DCPHP) are experimentally obtained and compared. The DCPHP has two condenser sections, which are arranged at the both ends of the PHP. Both types of PHPs have the same total condenser area and channels are made of stainless steel tube with an inner diameter of 1.0 mm. The width and the total length of the PHPs are 200 mm and 600 mm, respectively. R-134a is used as a working fluid. The filling ratio, the condenser temperature, and input power are changed from 30 to 60%, 10 to 30°C, and 0 to 700 W, respectively. The DCPHP has up to 66% lower thermal resistance and can approximately handle four times higher maximum allowable input power compared to the SCPHP. Moreover, the DCPHP shows stable operation compared to the SCPHP at low input power (<20 W). Finally, the operating regime maps for the SCPHP and the DCPHP are proposed.