Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Determination of Mass Flow Rate through Plain Mesh Wick and Nano- Structured Mesh Wick for the Design of Thermal Compressor Systems

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  • Wicking action refers to the movement of a liquid through a porous or a structured surface via capillary action. This phenomenon is affected by surface geometry, such as the wick thickness and pore size of the wick, as well as fluid properties, such as viscosity and surface tension of the working fluid. Designing a wick structure is a critical factor in the performance of many thermal management systems. Our team has developed a thermal compressor, which converts a low-grade heat to mechanical work. It relies on wicking action to transport the operating fluid between the evaporator and condenser. This research uses experimental and analytical methods to characterize the operation of 8 wicks and delivers a wick design to provide sufficient mass flow rate between the evaporator and condenser of the thermal compressor. Mass flow rate is the critical feature of this transport system. It requires understanding the heterogeneous nature of mesh wick properties and the nature of flow in different flow regimes. Obtaining that understanding helps develop a framework to design suitable wicks that can effectively transport the working fluid. The target flow rate for this study was 50 g/s. Open-air transient capillary rise experiments were conducted on plain and nano-structured copper mesh wicks of sizes 100-, 150-, 200- and, 250-mesh per inch. Each test was performed for 90 seconds and the time history of fluid mass displacement was recorded. Detailed data analysis showed that the 250-mesh nano-structured wick performed best. This is primarily because of nano-structured wettability enhanced the surface energy of the surface.
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  • Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory (WET Lab)
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  • Department of Energy for the funding the project.
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  • 91 pages

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