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Comparative analysis of thermal performance in heat pipe heat exchangers employing two distinct convective heat transfer media

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Abstract

Heat pipe heat exchangers (HPHEs) offer an efficient solution for industrial waste heat recovery by utilizing latent heat transfer. This study compared a traditional water-based HPHE and one augmented with 1% silver nanoparticles by volume. The HPHEs with distinct 500-mm evaporator and condenser sections were assessed on parameters like temperature distribution, heat transfer rates, thermal resistance, and effectiveness under varying thermal loads (70–90 W) and hot/cold fluid mass flow rates (0.2–0.6 kg min−1 and 0.1–0.3 kg min−1). The nanofluid HPHE demonstrated superior performance, with a 12.21 °C peak evaporator temperature difference and 39.25% maximum effectiveness at optimal conditions, exceeding the DI water HPHE by over 10%. The higher heat fluxes proportionally improved heat transfer parameters. Moderate mass flow rates around 0.2 kg min−1 (hot fluid) and 0.1 kg min−1 (cold fluid) optimized performance. The unconventional adiabatic-less design improved heat transfer compared to traditional heat pipes. The nanofluid HPHE’s exceptional heat recovery capacity proves its viability for harnessing low-grade industrial waste heat, leading to significant energy savings. The study provides critical insights into thermal performance enhancements through synergistic HPHE design modifications and nanoparticle augmentation of the working fluid.

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Abbreviations

HPHE:

Heat pipe heat exchanger

∆T :

Temperature difference

∆TE:

Evaporator temperature difference

∆TC:

Condenser temperature difference

Q:

Heat transfer rate

QHE:

Evaporator heat transfer rate

QHC:

Condenser heat transfer rate

Rth:

Thermal resistance

U :

Overall heat transfer coefficient

ε :

Effectiveness

ṁ :

Mass flow rate

ṁh:

Hot fluid mass flow rate

ṁc:

Cold fluid mass flow rate

DI:

Deionized

RTD:

Resistance temperature detector

LMTD:

Log mean temperature difference

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Kalasalingam University, Krishnan koil, Tamil Nadu, for providing laboratory facilities and technical support for the smooth conduct of this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India

    Ramasamy Sethuraman & Thambidurai Muthuvelan

  2. Department of Automobile Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil, Tamil Nadu, India

    Sivasubramanian Mahadevan

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  1. Ramasamy Sethuraman
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Correspondence to Ramasamy Sethuraman.

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Sethuraman, R., Muthuvelan, T. & Mahadevan, S. Comparative analysis of thermal performance in heat pipe heat exchangers employing two distinct convective heat transfer media. J Therm Anal Calorim 149, 4069–4085 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-024-12944-9

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