Designing, testing, and analyzing coupled, flux transformer heat

Abstract

The proposed research involves designing, testing, and ics. analyzing a coupled, flux transformer heat pipe system following the patent of Oktay and Peterson (1997). Experiments were conducted utilizing four copper heat pipes, lined with copper mesh and filled with methanol. Three heat pipes were threaded together to form a cascaded system. The results were compared with a fourth heat pipe of identical effective length to the cascaded system. At adverse tilt ogles, the cascaded system is exerted to operated at powers where a single heat pipe would fail. The success of the cascaded system is not affected by the capillary pressure limitations inherent in longer heat pipes. By comparing a cascaded system of heat pipes against a single heat pipe of identical effective length, this research shows that sufficient heat can be transferred across the system to work effectively in situations where the single heat pie will fail to operate. The thermal resistance in the condenser and evaporator sections need to be reduced before the cascaded system can become effective. Suggestions for future improvements to the cascaded system are given.