Liquid Metal Oscillating Heat Pipe High-Temperature Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oscillating heat pipes struggle to operate stably at high temperatures above 200°C, and current testing methods cannot accurately measure heat transfer performance in high-temperature environments, limiting their application in fields like aeronautics and astronautics.
Innovation Solution
A liquid metal high-temperature oscillating heat pipe with a tee junction liquid filling port and stainless steel tube array, using sodium-potassium alloy as the working fluid, integrated with an evaporator, adiabatic section, and condenser, along with a specialized testing system that includes a high-temperature heating furnace, cooling liquid block, and thermocouples to measure heat transfer and leakage accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional oscillating heat pipes are used, then they can operate at medium and low temperatures, but they cannot work stably at high temperatures above 200°C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the working fluid parameter from conventional volatile liquids to liquid metal (sodium-potassium alloy), which fundamentally alters the thermal and physical properties. This parameter change enables the heat pipe to operate stably at temperatures above 200°C, directly resolving the contradiction between high temperature capability and stable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining liquid metal working fluid with stainless steel tube array and specialized sealing materials. This composite material approach allows the system to maintain structural integrity and operational stability at high temperatures, solving the reliability issue while achieving high temperature operation.
2Measurement precision
If existing testing methods are used, then they can measure heat transfer at medium and low temperatures, but they cannot accurately measure heat transfer performance in high-temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cooling liquid as an intermediary medium to transfer heat from the high-temperature oscillating heat pipe. The cooling liquid circulates through the condenser, absorbing heat that would otherwise be difficult to measure directly. This intermediary approach enables accurate heat transfer measurement at high temperatures by converting the measurement problem into a manageable thermal exchange process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement methods with thermal field-based measurement using cooling liquid flow and temperature differential sensors. This substitution allows for non-contact, high-precision heat transfer measurement at high temperatures, overcoming the limitations of conventional mechanical or direct thermal measurement methods.
3Temperature
If liquid metal is used as working fluid, then the heat pipe can operate at high temperatures, but the filling process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary vacuum evacuation of the tube array before introducing the liquid metal working fluid. This preliminary action removes air and impurities that would otherwise interfere with liquid metal filling and operation. The vacuum process prepares the system by creating a clean, air-free environment, making the subsequent liquid metal introduction smoother and more reliable, thus reducing filling difficulty despite using liquid metal.
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 system enables the oscillating heat pipe to operate stably at temperatures over 500°C and provides precise measurement of heat transfer performance, overcoming previous limitations and enabling wider application in high-temperature fields.
Implementation Method 1
the working fluid absorbs heat and gas pressure increases in the evaporator, and then flows to the low-temperature condenser where the liquid plugs shrink and break
Implementation Method 2
the working fluid absorbs heat and gas pressure increases in the evaporator, and then flows to the low-temperature condenser where the liquid plugs shrink and break
Implementation Method 3
the working fluid oscillates between the evaporator and the condenser, so as to achieve heat transfer
Implementation Method 4
the forced convection flow of the cooling liquid in the channels transfers the heat of the condenser of the high-temperature oscillating heat pipe to the cooling liquid
Implementation Method 5
a measurement and control system in signal connection with the aforementioned devices... the temperatures of the evaporator and the condenser can be measured by the thermocouple readings
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid metal high-temperature oscillating heat pipe and a testing system are provided. The testing system contains the high-temperature oscillating heat pipe, a high-temperature heating furnace, a cooling liquid block, a high-pressure pump, a constant temperature liquid bath, a mass flowmeter, a filter, a cooling liquid valve, and a measurement and control connected to the aforementioned devices. The constant temperature liquid bath, the high-pressure pump, the filter, the cooling liquid valve, a liquid filling port tee-junction, the cooling liquid block, a liquid outlet tee-junction, and the mass flowmeter are connected in sequence and the mass flowmeter is connected to the constant temperature liquid bath. The front side of the cooling liquid block is provided with a channel connected to a condenser of the high-temperature oscillating heat pipe. The adiabatic section of the high-temperature oscillating heat pipe being connected to the high-temperature heating furnace.