Heat Transfer Device with Two-Phase Slug Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat transfer devices face inefficiencies due to the opposing directions of working fluid movement in gas and liquid phases, leading to poor heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer device with a bag configuration that includes a vaporizing portion, a condensing portion, and two-phase flow channels, where the working fluid changes phase and moves through these channels, applying pressure to facilitate smooth movement and enhance heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the working fluid moves from vaporizing portion to condensing portion in gas phase and liquid phase in opposite directions, then phase change heat transfer occurs, but the working fluid cannot smoothly move inside the airtight enclosure leading to decreased heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The airtight enclosure is segmented into distinct functional zones: vaporizing portion, condensing portion, and two-phase flow channel. This segmentation allows the working fluid to follow a controlled path through phase change regions, enabling smooth movement despite opposing flow directions by confining each phase to its designated space.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-phase flow channel acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates the transition between single-phase and two-phase flow regions. It provides a dedicated pathway where liquid-gas two-phase slug flow can occur, mediating the interaction between vaporized working fluid moving to condensing portion and condensed working fluid returning to vaporizing portion.
2Productivity
If liquid-gas two-phase slug flow occurs in the two-phase flow channel, then pressure is applied to move working fluid smoothly, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The airtight enclosure utilizes a flexible bag structure made of heat-conductive sheets instead of rigid enclosures. The bag can deform to accommodate the volume changes of working fluid during phase change, eliminating the need for complex rigid flow channel structures while still enabling two-phase slug flow through controlled internal geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the working fluid system by introducing two-phase slug flow regime, which creates pressure gradients that drive fluid movement. This parameter change (flow regime) enables smooth movement of working fluid without requiring complex mechanical pumping structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The configuration improves heat transfer efficiency by allowing the working fluid to move smoothly between phases, increasing pressure and reducing disturbances, thereby enhancing the transfer of heat.
Implementation Method 1
The working fluid is configured to change phase thereof between gas and liquid
Implementation Method 2
Heat transfer device transfers heat on a principle of release of latent heat to the outside when the phase of the working fluid changes
Implementation Method 3
Heat from an outside of the bag to the vaporizing portion is transmitted to the working fluid in the liquid phase via the sheets
Implementation Method 4
The working fluid in the liquid phase is vaporized due to the heat and an air bubble is created in the working fluid in the liquid phase
Implementation Method 5
The working fluid in the gas phase in the condensing portion is condensed and converted into the working fluid in the liquid phase
Implementation Method 6
a two-phase flow channel in which liquid-gas two-phase slug flow including the working fluid in the liquid phase and the working fluid in the gas phase occurs from the vaporizing portion to the condensing portion
Implementation Method 7
A pressure of the working fluid in the liquid phase in the condensing portion is higher in comparison to a configuration that does not include the two-phase flow channel
Data Source
AI summary
A heat transfer device includes a bag and a working fluid. The bag includes a first sheet and a second sheet with edges that are sealed together. The working fluid is enclosed in the bag. The working fluid changes a phase thereof between gas and liquid. The bag includes a vaporizing portion in which the liquid-phase working fluid is vaporized and a condensing portion in which the gas-phase working fluid is condensed. The bag includes a two-phase flow channel in which liquid-gas two-phase slug flow including the liquid-phase working fluid and the gas-phase working fluid occurs from the vaporizing portion to the condensing portion. The two-phase flow channel is provided in an internal space of the bag.