INVESTIGAÇÃO EXPERIMENTAL DA INFLUÊNCIA DA INCLINAÇÃO DE TERMOSSIFÕES APLICADOS A TROCADORES DE CALOR DE ESCOAMENTO CRUZADO

Abstract

. Heat exchangers are devices that facilitate the heat exchange between two or more fluids that are at different temperatures and apart from one another, and they can have several different forms, including shell-and-tubes, serpentine, fins, plates, concentric tubes, among others. In the present work an experimental investigation of slope influence of thermosyphons applied to cross-flow heat exchangers was performed. To that effect, thermosyphons were manufactured in copper with an outer diameter of 9.45mm, an inner diameter of 7.75mm, and a total length of 180mm, of which 60mm are for the evaporator, 60mm are for the adiabatic section, and 60mm are for the condenser. The thermosyphons were filled with distilled water with 40% of the evaporator volume, tested experimentally at different slopes (0, 22.5, 45, 67.5, and 90° in relation to the horizontal) under power dissipations ranging from 1 to 11W and its cooling being performed by air forced convection. The thermal analysis was based on the temperature distribution along the length, on the operating temperature and on the thermal resistance. In view of the results observed for thermal performance, it was possible to determine that the best working slope was 67.5° in relation to the horizontal, given that it presented lower values of thermal resistance and lower operating temperature.