Effect of Heat Transport Fluid and Influence of Gravity Assistance in Heat Pipe Induced in Concentric-Tube Shell Assisted Heat Exchanger

Abstract

                An Experimental investigation is done on the heat pipe with gravity induced in a concentric-tube shell assisted heat exchanger under the influence of heat transport fluid. To augment the heat transfer characteristics of the heat pipe, water and copper oxide with De-Ionized water mixture (CuO/DI) nanofluid at volume concentration of 0.4% are used as heat transport fluids at evaporator section and methanol (CH3OH) as a working fluid. Investigations are carried out with an inclination angles with reference to the heat pipe axis to the horizontal reference as 10º, 30º, 50º and 70º. In this analysis, mass flow rate and temperature of the hot and cold fluids are considered for further study. Hot fluid with a mass flow rate ranges from 40 LPH to 80 LPH, cold fluid with 20 LPH to 40 LPH and the inlet temperatures of hot fluids as 50ºC, 55ºC and 60ºC and cold fluid as 33.5ºC is considered for the investigation. The result reveals that increase in effectiveness is occurs when nanofluid is used as heat transport fluid. It is observed that, inclination angle at 50º, inlet hot fluid temperature 60ºC and mass flow rate 80 LPH, 60% of increase in effectiveness is achieved and ensured the effect of gravity influences on effectiveness.