Performance Improvement in Pulsating Heat Pipes Using a Self-Rewetting Fluid Available to Purchase

New experimental results have been obtained on the enhancement of heat transport by a pulsating heat pipe (PHP) using a self-rewetting fluid. Self-rewetting fluids have a property that the surface tension increases with temperature unlike other common liquids. The increasing surface tension at a higher temperature could cause the liquid to be drawn towards a heated surface if a dry spot appears, and improving boiling heat transfer. In the present experiments, 1-butanol was added to water at a concentration of less than 1 wt% to make the self-rewetting fluid. A pulsating heat pipe made from an extruded multi-port tube was partially filled with the butanol-water mixture and tested for its heat transport capability at different input power levels. The experiments showed that the maximum heat transport capability was enhanced by a factor of four when the maximum heater temperature was limited to 120 °C. Thus, the use of a self-rewetting fluid in a PHP has been shown to be highly effective in improving the heat transport capability of pulsating heat pipes.