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Capillary-driven flow analysis of a micro-grooved pipe

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Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Solar energy provides significant opportunities to the power needs. The pipes with micro-grooves etched in the inner wall have been widely taken on the absorber receiver in the parabolic trough and cooling systems for solar thermal absorbers because this sort of pipes improves heat transfer. To support parabolic trough design in solar energy application systems, this study developed a capillary-driven two-phase flow model. The study further examines the influences caused by different micro-grooves, fluids, temperatures, radiuses and widths of groove. Our study concludes that (1) the triangular-microgroove has better influence of the liquid front position than semicircular-microgroove. (2) Water has better influence of liquid front position than ethanol and benzene. (3) The saturated temperature is indirectly proportional to the liquid front position. (4) The length of liquid front position is longer if value of radius is higher. (5) The width of groove does not significantly affect on the liquid front position and velocity. In addition, the proposed mathematical modeling is solved more correctly as compared to previous research. From our results, a good design of the micro-groove pipe can be achieved.

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Abbreviations

A 1 :

Wetting cross section of the micro-channel

A cont :

Surface in contact with the liquid layer

A pipe :

Radial section of pipe

r c :

Effective of equivalent capillary radius in the direction of interest

r H :

Hydraulic radius of the micro-channel

r m :

Radius of semicircular groove

g :

Gravitational acceleration

R :

Inner radius of pipe

p :

Groove depth

w :

Groove width

Q :

Heating power

ṁevaporated :

Certain mass of liquid

T sat :

Saturated temperature

T pipe :

Temperature of the inner surface

k pipe :

Conductivity of pipe

c p,pipe :

Specific heat of pipe at constant pressure

t :

Time

q :

Internal heat flux

θ :

Angular liquid front position

v 1 :

Liquid front velocity

v ′1 :

New liquid front velocity

ρ 1 :

Density of liquid

μ 1 :

Dynamic viscosity of liquid

σ :

Surface tension

β :

Contact angle of the liquid-steam-solid interface

γ :

Micro-channel angle to the vertical

∅:

Apex angle

δ :

Thickness of the pipe

λ :

Latent heat of evaporation

ξ′ :

Angular relative coordinate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43 Keelung Rd., Taipei, 106, Taiwan, ROC

    Nguyen Dang Tien Dung & Kung-Jeng Wang

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, ROC

    Fu-Sheng Chuang

Authors
  1. Nguyen Dang Tien Dung
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  2. Fu-Sheng Chuang
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  3. Kung-Jeng Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nguyen Dang Tien Dung.

Additional information

Communicated by Andreas Öchsner.

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Dung, N.D.T., Chuang, FS. & Wang, KJ. Capillary-driven flow analysis of a micro-grooved pipe. Continuum Mech. Thermodyn. 26, 423–435 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00161-013-0307-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00161-013-0307-8

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