EFFECTS OF CuO/WATER NANOFLUID APPLICATION ON THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF MESH WICK HEAT PIPE
Naveen Kumar Gupta, Sujit Kumar Verma, Pushpendra Kumar Singh Rathore, Abhishek K. Sharma
Abstract
The present investigation deals with the effect of CuO/water nanofluid on the thermal performance of a heat pipe. The impact of CuO/water nanofluid application on the heat pipe for a wider range of input power (50−150 W) and inclination angle (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90° from horizontal) have been analyzed. Experimental findings confirm 20.5% decrease in thermal resistance and 15.3% increment in thermal efficiency of the heat pipe compared to water. Maximum thermal efficiency (66.5%) of a heat pipe was obtained at 150 W and 1.0 vol.% of nanofluid in a horizontal position. Investigation establishes that a 30° inclination angle is the most favorable one for the optimum enhancement of thermal performance of a heat pipe.