Heat Transfer Enhancement of Heat Pipe Exchanger by Incorporating Perforated Conical Nozzle Rings

Numerical analysis of the air flow characteristics has been experimentally studied and conducted by equipping a simple plain heat pipe with perforated conical rings (PCR's) under constant wall temperature conditions. The air is taken as working fluid and the pitch ratio of the conical rings is assumed to be 4. Dimensionless quantities like Reynolds number and Nusselt number are used in calculations to study the flow of the fluid and the rate of heat transfer coefficient. The work is aimed at enhancing heat transfer rate of the heat pipe exchanger for which experimental investigation is carried out which are further supported by CFD simulations. The results showed increased heat enhancement where the losses in kinetic energy for a flow through heat pipe are compensated by equally spaced conical rings. In addition, the perforations over the nozzle rings enhanced heat transfer rate by creating turbulence thus enabling flow to form vortices that increases heat pipe effectiveness to some more extent. These tubes with conical nozzle inserts are suitable for industrial cooling and heating equipment's where increase in heat pipe effectiveness improves the overall efficiency of the power plant.