Accelerated solution methodology for 3D hydrodynamic and thermal modeling of grooved heat pipes with complex geometries

Abstract

Heat pipes play a crucial role in industrial thermal management owing to their exceptional heat-carrying capacity, minimal thermal resistance and reliable performance. However, designing and optimizing heat pipes becomes intricate especially when dealing with multi-phase heat transfer encompassing complex phenomena like phase-change processes (i.e., evaporation, condensation and free surface flow). Grooved heat pipes, characterized by complex groove shapes, introduce an additional layer of complexity necessitating physically based mathematical models and skin friction correlations that may not always be readily available or may yield inferior results. To address these limitations, an innovative computational methodology is integrated into a commercial CFD program (Fluent®) using the Python® programming language. This approach allowed for comprehensive computation of the 3D fluid flow field and heat transfer phenomena within grooved heat pipes. Notably, the methodology incorporates data fitting procedures for boundary conditions leading to a substantial acceleration of the computation process and a reduction in solution times. This investigation represents a substantial advancement in addressing the challenges of multi-phase heat transfer phenomena while providing a compelling solution to the limitations of previous modeling methodologies for grooved heat pipes. Furthermore, the proposed methodology exhibits versatility, extending beyond its initial scope to encompass complex geometries like omega-shaped grooves and various physical scenarios involving phase-change phenomena and free-surface flow. Due to its comprehensive insights and adaptable framework, developed methodology serves as a valuable tool for analyzing heat pipes with multiple grooves addressing a significant gap in the literature.