International Journal of Technical Research (IJTR)

Vol. 5, Issue 1, Mar-Apr 2016

SIMULATION AND MODELING OF HEAT PIPE 1 2

Kapil Dev , Balvinder Budania
1 2
PG Student, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, OITM, Hisar, India

Abstract— Heat pipe is a passive device with a very high and ability to transport heat at high rate over considerable
thermal conductance. It is a closed evacuated tube or distance with extremely small temperature drop.
chamber of different shapes, the inner surfaces of which Moreover, heat pipes require no external pumping power.
are lined with a porous capillary wick. Heat pipes are The heat pipe is similar in some respects to the
currently used in a wide variety of heat transfer related thermosyphon and it is helpful to describe the operation of
applications. In this work, a two dimensional finite-
the latter before discussing the heat pipe.
element numerical model is developed for the simulation
of heat pipes to analyze their steady state performance
characteristics. The Finite-element models are developed
in ANSYS software to predict the temperature
distribution along the heat pipe. Four cases are considered
in this work with different heat pipe wall materials,
different effective thermal conductivity of wick, different
heat flux at evaporator and different working fluids. In all
the cases, heat pipes are modeled as sections, namely,
evaporator, adiabatic and condenser sections. Suitable
material and thermal conductivity are selected for heat
pipe wall, wick material. Selected heat flux is applied at
evaporator section. At condenser section, convective heat
transfer coefficient is applied. In the adiabatic section, if
no boundary condition is applied, ANSYS treats the
surface as adiabatic. When all these boundary conditions
are applied and simulate the model, ANSYS generate
suitable results. The results obtained in the four cases
considered in this work are in good agreement with results
reported in literature.
Keywords— HEAT PIPE, FEM, ANSYS Fig. 1.1 Heat pipe and thermosyphon
I. INTRODUCTION
A heat pipe is a passive heat transfer device with II. METHODOLOGY
a very high thermal conductance. It is used to transport Heat pipes are highly reliable and efficient
heat from one location to another by means of evaporation
and subsequent condensation of an appropriate fluid, in energy transport devices. They are being considered for
which circulation of the fluid is maintained by capillary many terrestrial and space applications. Analyses of heat
forces.
A heat pipe is a simple device that can quickly pipe operations, both analytical and numerical, have been
transfer heat from one point to another. They are often performed extensively by many researchers. Most of the
referred to as the "superconductors" of heat as they possess
an extra ordinary heat transfer capacity and rate with analytical studies were concentrated on the dynamics of
almost no heat loss. The principle of heat pipe was vapor flow. Liquid flow and the liquid-vapor coupling
conceived by Gaugler, (1944) and by Trefethen, (1962).
However, it is not publicized until 1964, when Grover and were mostly neglected in analytical studies because of
his colleagues at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory their complexity.
independently reinvented the concept. Grover also
demonstrated its effectiveness as high performance heat In this work, two-dimensional finite-element
transmission device, named it the “Heat Pipe”, and modeling and simulation of heat pipe is considered for
developed its applications.
Among the many outstanding advantages of using the heat different container wall material, wick structure and
pipe as a heat transmission device are: constructional working fluids. Validation of the results obtained from the
simplicity, exceptional flexibility, accessibility to control,
simulations is done by comparing the results with results
ISSN 2278-5787
 International Journal of Technical Research (IJTR)
Vol. 5, Issue 1, Mar-Apr 2016

available in the existing literature. As cylindrical heat pipe Heat pipe wick is modeled using 2D eight nodes 182 element
is symmetrical along the x-z plane, only half section of the type and material properties of wick are given in Table 3.2
heat pipe is modeled. and dimensions of heat pipe for Case 1 are given in Table 3.3.

The liquid flow in the porous wick is very Table 3.1 Material properties of heat pipe wall for Case 1

important to determine the capillary limit of heat pipes. Parameter Value

It is assumed that the wick structure is designed such Material Stainless Steel
that it has enough capillary force to drive condensate to Thermal Conductivity (K) 16 W/m K
the evaporator section. The perfect gas law is employed Density (ρ) 500 kg/m3
to account for the compressibility of the vapor. The Specific Heat (C) 8000 J/kg K
thermal conductivity K of the wall is different from that
of the liquid-wick structure. Table 3.2 Material properties of heat pipe wick for Case 1
The model adopted in this work is based on the Parameter Value
following assumptions:
1. The process is in steady state. Stainless Steel with effective thermal
66.18 W/m K
2. The heat transfer through the liquid-wick is conductivity (Keff)

modeled as purely conduction with an

Wick Porosity 0.33
effective thermal conductivity.
Wick structure Screen mesh
3. Radiative and gravitational effects are
negligible.
Table 3.3 Dimensions of heat pipe for Case 1
4. The fluid is Newtonian.
Parameter Value
5. Vapor flow is assumed to be negligible.
Total Heat Pipe Length 0.5m
Condenser Length of Heat Pipe (Lc) 0.35m
III. FE MODEL FORMULATION
Evaporator Length of Heat Pipe 0.1m
In this section, the geometry, boundary
conditions and the selection of models will be (Le)
discussed. In the present work, different Adiabatic Length of Heat Pipe (La) 0.05m
materials are taken for heat pipe wall and heat
pipe wick. Two working fluids (sodium and Heat Pipe Wall Thickness 0.001m
water) are used in the heat pipe. Four cases are Heat Pipe Wick Thickness 0.0005m
taken with different geometry of heat pipe.
Because of the symmetry along the x-z plane, Total Heat Input Q 560W/m2
only half section of the heat pipe is modeled. FE Working fluid Sodium
modeling and simulation is carried by using
Ansys, Version 10.0 Temperature (T0) 5450C
Convective heat transfer coefficient 1800W/m2 0C
Description of FE modeling for heat pipe for Case 1
(h)
a) Heat pipe wall
Heat pipe wall is modeled using 2D quad, four noded 55 Description of FE modeling for Heat Pipe for Case 2
elements. Finite Element Model has 4228 nodes with four For Case 2, material properties of heat pipe wall
noded quadratic elements for modeling a heat pipe for all
are same as for Case 1 and FE model element type for heat
cases. Properties of heat pipe wall for Case 1 are given in
pipe wall and heat pipe wick structure are also same.
Table 3.1.
Effective thermal conductivity and wick porosity of wick
b) Heat pipe wick
ISSN 2278-5787
 International Journal of Technical Research (IJTR)
Vol. 5, Issue 1, Mar-Apr 2016

structure are also same. However, the dimensions used for

heat pipe wall and heat pipe wick and value of heat flux
are taken as different. Value of convective heat transfer
coefficient, h is taken as same for all cases. Dimensions of
heat pipe for Case 2 are given in Table 3.4.
Table 3.4 Dimensions of heat pipe for Case 2
Parameter Value
Total Heat Pipe Length 0.7m
Condenser Length of Heat Pipe (Lc) 0.55m
Evaporator Length of Heat Pipe 0.1m
(Le)
Adiabatic Length of Heat Pipe (La) 0.05m
Heat Pipe Wall Thickness 0.001m

Heat Pipe Wick Thickness 0.0005m Fig. 4.1 Temperature distribution along the heat pipe wall for
2
Total Heat Input Q 1000W/m Case 1
Working fluid Sodium

Temperature (T0) 5830C

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results of model in Case 1
The variation of temperature along the heat pipe
wall is shown in Fig. 4.1. Maximum outer wall temperature of
heat pipe at evaporator section is found as 555.6 oC. and
minimum outer wall temperature of heat pipe at condenser
section is found as 545o C.

Fig. 4.2 Temperature variation of heat pipe along length

In this study, it is observed that when the value of

heat flux is 560 W/m2 the maximum temperature at evaporator
was found 555.6 0C and minimum temperature at condenser
section was 545 0C. In Chen [10], the temperature at
evaporator and condenser sections are reported as 545.02 0C
0
and 531 C respectively for same value of heat flux.
Therefore, it is evaluated that the difference between the

ISSN 2278-5787
 International Journal of Technical Research (IJTR)
Vol. 5, Issue 1, Mar-Apr 2016

present study and available literatures is 10.50 C at evaporator

section and is 13.7 0C at condenser section.
Results of model in Case 2
The variation of temperature along the heat pipe
wall is shown in Fig. 4.3. Maximum outer wall temperature of
heat pipe at evaporator section is 599.1 0C. and minimum
outer wall temperature of heat pipe at condenser section is
582 0C.

Fig. 4.4 Temperature variation of heat pipe along length

V. CONCLUSIONS
Heat pipe is a useful device that can be used in both
heating and cooling applications. In this work, two-
dimensional finite-element models are developed for the
simulation of heat pipe in four different cases by using
Ansys software. In Case 1, a cylindrical heat pipe with wall
material as stainless steel; wire mesh material is stainless
steel with porosity 0.33 is modeled. Sodium is used as a
working fluid in this heat pipe. Input heat flux at evaporator
Fig. 4.3 Temperature distribution along the heat pipe wall for
section is 560 W/m2. In Case 2, similar heat pipe as Case 1
Case 2
with different dimensions and different input heat flux (1000
In this study, it is observed that when the value of
W/m2) is modeled. In Case 3, similar heat pipe as Case 1
heat flux is 1000 W/m2 the maximum temperature at
with different wick porosity (0.74) and input heat flux (6400
evaporator was found 599.05 0 C and minimum temperature at
W/m2) is modeled. Case 4 is modeled with copper as heat
condenser section was 582 0C. In Chen [10], the temperature
pipe wall material, sintered powder wick and water as
at evaporator and condenser sections are reported as 583.2 0C
working fluid. Due to complexity, modeling of vapor flow in
and 570.7 0C respectively for same value of heat flux.
heat pipe is carried out in this work.
Therefore, it is evaluated that the difference between the
The results obtained from the simulation of the
present study and available literatures is 15.8 0 C at evaporator
models in four cases are in good agreement with the results
section and is 11.2 0C at condenser section.
available in the existing literature i.e. Chen [10].
REFERENCES
1. Bin Xiao and Amir Faghri, (2008), “A three-dimensional

thermal-fluid analysis of flat heat pipes”, International

ISSN 2278-5787
 International Journal of Technical Research (IJTR)
Vol. 5, Issue 1, Mar-Apr 2016
Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 51, pp. 3113–
3126.
2. B.K. Tan, T.N. Wong and K.T. Ooi, (2010), “A study of
liquid flow in a flat plate heat pipe under localized
heating”, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, Vol.
49, pp. 99–108.
3. Chi Li and G. P. Peterson, (2006), “The effective thermal
conductivity of wire screen”, International Journal of
Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 49, pp. 4095–4105.
4. Hong-Koo Noh and Kyu-Sub Song, (1998) “Temperature
distribution of a low temperature heat pipe with multiple
heaters for electronic cooling”, ETRI Journal, Vol. 20, pp.
384-394.
5. Joseph Schmalhofer and Amir Faghri, (1993) “A study of
circumferentially-heated and block-heated heat pipes-I.
Experimental analysis and generalized analytical
prediction of capillary limits”, Mt. J. Heat Mass
Transfer. Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 201-212.
6. Joseph Schmalhofer and Amir Faghri, (1993), “A study of
circumferentially-heated and block-heated heat pipes-II.
Three-dimensional numerical modeling as a conjugate
ISSN 2278-5787
problem”, Inv J. near Mass Transfer. Vol. 31. No. I. pp.
213- 226.
7. J.-M. Tournier and M. S. El-Genk, (1994) “A heat pipe
transient analysis model”, International J. of Heat and
Mass Transfer, Vol. 37, No. 51, pp. 753-762.
8. Jean-Michel Tournier and Mohamed S. El-Genk, (2003),
“Startup of a horizontal lithium–molybdenum heat pipe
from a frozen state”, International Journal of Heat and
Mass Transfer, Vol. 46, pp. 671–685.
9. K. A. R. Ismail and M. A. Zanardit, (1996), “A steady-state
model for heat pipes of circular or rectangular cross-
sections”, Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 16, pp. 75-
80.
10. Ming-Ming Chen- and Amir Faghri, (1990), “An analysis
of the vapor flow and the heat conduction through the
liquid-wick and pipe wall in a heat pipe with single or
multiple heat sources”, Int. J. Heat and Mass Transfer,
Vol. 33. No. 9, pp. 1945-1955.