Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation

Evaporation, condensation and fluid flow within an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP) are numerically simulated using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The flow and thermal characteristics of the Ω-AGHP (with aluminum pipe shell and ammonia as working fluid) under various axial gravity coeffic...

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Main Authors: Shifeng Lin, Xu Zhang, Huiying Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25004393
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author Shifeng Lin
Xu Zhang
Huiying Wu
author_facet Shifeng Lin
Xu Zhang
Huiying Wu
author_sort Shifeng Lin
collection DOAJ
description Evaporation, condensation and fluid flow within an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP) are numerically simulated using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The flow and thermal characteristics of the Ω-AGHP (with aluminum pipe shell and ammonia as working fluid) under various axial gravity coefficients (0, 0.1, 1.63, 3.72, 9.8, and 19.6 m/s2) are compared. It is revealed that the presence of axial gravity acting from the condenser region to the evaporator region substantially alters the vapor-liquid interface, accelerates the reflux of condensed ammonia, and therefore improves the thermal performance of the Ω-AGHP by approximately 40 %. Even a relatively low axial gravity coefficient (0.1 m/s2) can substantially boost the thermal performance of the Ω-AGHP. However, raising the gravity coefficient beyond a threshold (1.63 m/s2) does not yield additional performance improvements of the heat pipe. The results can help better understand the flow dynamics and transport mechanisms within an Ω-AGHP, offering certain engineering guidance for the design of Ω-AGHPs applied in aerospace and deep space exploration.
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spelling doaj-art-dfaad72eceb64517b47d97f8aa6e745d2025-08-20T01:51:13ZengElsevierCase Studies in Thermal Engineering2214-157X2025-08-017210617910.1016/j.csite.2025.106179Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigationShifeng Lin0Xu Zhang1Huiying Wu2School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, ChinaInnovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding author.Evaporation, condensation and fluid flow within an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP) are numerically simulated using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The flow and thermal characteristics of the Ω-AGHP (with aluminum pipe shell and ammonia as working fluid) under various axial gravity coefficients (0, 0.1, 1.63, 3.72, 9.8, and 19.6 m/s2) are compared. It is revealed that the presence of axial gravity acting from the condenser region to the evaporator region substantially alters the vapor-liquid interface, accelerates the reflux of condensed ammonia, and therefore improves the thermal performance of the Ω-AGHP by approximately 40 %. Even a relatively low axial gravity coefficient (0.1 m/s2) can substantially boost the thermal performance of the Ω-AGHP. However, raising the gravity coefficient beyond a threshold (1.63 m/s2) does not yield additional performance improvements of the heat pipe. The results can help better understand the flow dynamics and transport mechanisms within an Ω-AGHP, offering certain engineering guidance for the design of Ω-AGHPs applied in aerospace and deep space exploration.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25004393Gravity coefficientHeat pipeΩ-shaped axial grooveThermal resistance
spellingShingle Shifeng Lin
Xu Zhang
Huiying Wu
Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Gravity coefficient
Heat pipe
Ω-shaped axial groove
Thermal resistance
title Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
title_full Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
title_fullStr Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
title_full_unstemmed Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
title_short Impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an Ω-shaped axial groove heat pipe (Ω-AGHP): A numerical investigation
title_sort impact of axial gravity on the transport performance of an ω shaped axial groove heat pipe ω aghp a numerical investigation
topic Gravity coefficient
Heat pipe
Ω-shaped axial groove
Thermal resistance
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25004393
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AT xuzhang impactofaxialgravityonthetransportperformanceofanōshapedaxialgrooveheatpipeōaghpanumericalinvestigation
AT huiyingwu impactofaxialgravityonthetransportperformanceofanōshapedaxialgrooveheatpipeōaghpanumericalinvestigation