Experimental Investigation of High-Speed Rotating Heat Pipes

The steady state heat transfer characteristics of high-speed rotating heat pipes were measured using a newly commissioned high-speed rotating heat pipe test facility. The performance of two cylindrical and two tapered rotating heat pipes with different fluid loadings were tested for rotational speeds of 2,000 to 4,000 RPM and heat transfer rates up to 0.6 kW. The measurements were used to characterize the effects of rotational speed, working fluid loading, and heat pipe geometry on the performance of rotating heat pipes. The results were compared to previous theoretical models. There is a general agreement between test results and predictions from a model that accounts for natural convection within the liquid film at the evaporator at high accelerations. However, some results indicate that the model is not yet accounting for all the physics in a high-speed rotating heat pipe.Copyright © 2003 by ASME