NSF Award
9961405
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop theoretical models of three advanced heat pipe mechanisms that should lead to significantly improved heat flux capability. The mechanisms include Combined Pulsating and Capillary Transport (CPCT), Star Wick Transport (SWT) and Subcooled Liquid Feeding (SLF) mechanisms. The principal Phase I objective is to develop two basic models that later will be validated by experiments and incorporated into CPCT, SWT and SLF heat pipe design models in Phase II. Two models, including a 1-D transient Pulsating Flow Heat Transfer model and a 3-D steady state Wick Nucleate Boiling model, will be numerically solved to provide a fundamental understanding of heat transfer and slow stability of thermally drive, pulsating two-phase flows in miniature channels and boiling heat transfer and two-phase flows in porous wick structures. The Phase I results will include two theoretical models (mathematical and numerical formulations) and numerical solution packages (computer codes and numerical results).<br/><br/>The theoretical models developed through this program will benefit the design of the three advanced heat pipe mechanisms for potential application in markets such as high-end workstations, servers, notebook computers, and laser diodes
