Design and Manufacturing of a Flat-Plate Heat Pipe with Biphilic Surfaces

Abstract

<p>The objective of this project is to design and manufacture a flat-plate heat pipe capable of showing the fluid flow, the temperature distribution throughout the device, and determining the rate of heat transfer inside the system. The application of surfaces with modified wettability in phase change heat-transfer devices, such as a heat pipe, improve their heat transfer capabilities by facilitating the boiling and condensation of a working fluid [1]. These surfaces of modified wettability grant the surface biphilic properties. The heat pipe is designed to have a replaceable surface of modified wettability. The heat pipe will contain a glass viewing panel on the top to observe the fluid flow inside the system, while a viewing panel will be on the bottom to allow for qualitative observation off the heat flow with an infrared camera. The heat transfer capabilities will be quantified with thermocouples measuring the change in temperature of the cooling chamber fluid. The heat pipe is expected to improve the hea...</p>