Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Publication Date

5-5-1976

Abstract

One of the more promising applications of the heat pipe is in heat exchangers. Heat pipe heat exchangers may be used as recuperators in heating and ventilating systems, in gas turbines, in steam power plants, and in various process industry applications.

An analysis of the heat pipe heat exchanger was conducted in order to help optimize its performance. A computer program was developed to predict heat pipe performance, finned-tube heat exchanger performance, and the overall per­formance of a finned-tube heat pipe heat exchanger. The computer analysis uses conventional heat exchanger design techniques and a new heat pipe design technique which includes probabilistic design of artery wick heat pipes.

The heat pipe heat exchanger analysis program is normally used by specifying the mass flow rates, inlet temperatures, and inlet pressures of the hot and cold air streams. The heat transfer capability of the heat pipes was matched with that of the finned-tube heat exchanger in order to select appropriate heat pipes, and thus obtain minimum volume, weight, and cost for the heat exchanger.

An example problem is presented to illustrate the use of the program. The results predicted by the heat pipe heat exchanger analysis program are compared to the one set of ex­perimental data available in the literature and relatively good agreement was obtained.

Degree Name

Mechanical Engineering

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Mechanical Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Karl Thomas Feldman Jr.

Second Committee Member

Francis Christopher Wessling, Jr.

Third Committee Member

Maurice Wilbert Wildin

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Download

Share

COinS