Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
655738 International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow 2009 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Surface tension-driven effects in wickless heat pipes with aqueous solutions of long-chain alcohols are investigated. Flow visualizations and numerical simulation of bubbles behaviour and boiling pattern in transparent capillaries show the potential advantages of “self-rewetting” fluids, i.e. liquid solutions with a non-linear dependence of the surface tension with temperature. Surface tension measurements at different temperatures have been carried out also for a number of ternary aqueous solutions with relatively low freezing points. Some of them interestingly exhibit the same anomalous positive surface tension gradient with temperature as binary self-rewetting solutions. These results may open new horizons toward the development of more efficient heat transfer devices for different applications.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemical Engineering Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
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