• Editors' Suggestion

Condensation on Highly Superheated Surfaces: Unstable Thin Films in a Wickless Heat Pipe

Akshay Kundan, Thao T. T. Nguyen, Joel L. Plawsky, Peter C. Wayner, Jr., David F. Chao, and Ronald J. Sicker
Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 094501 – Published 3 March 2017
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

A wickless heat pipe was operated on the International Space Station to provide a better understanding of how the microgravity environment might alter the physical and interfacial forces driving evaporation and condensation. Traditional heat pipes are divided into three zones: evaporation at the heated end, condensation at the cooled end, and intermediate or adiabatic in between. The microgravity experiments reported herein show that the situation may be dramatically more complicated. Beyond a threshold heat input, there was a transition from evaporation at the heated end to large-scale condensation, even as surface temperatures exceeded the boiling point by 160 K. The hotter the surface, the more vapor was condensed onto it. The condensation process at the heated end is initiated by thickness and temperature disturbances in the thin liquid film that wet the solid surface. Those disturbances effectively leave the vapor “superheated” in that region. Condensation is amplified and sustained by the high Marangoni stresses that exist near the heater and that drive liquid to cooler regions of the device.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 9 October 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.094501

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Fluid Dynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Akshay Kundan*

  • The Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA

Thao T. T. Nguyen

  • The Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA

Joel L. Plawsky

  • The Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA

Peter C. Wayner, Jr.§

  • The Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA

David F. Chao

  • NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135, USA

Ronald J. Sicker

  • NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135, USA

  • *akshaykundan@gmail.com
  • nguyen.thaoche@gmail.com
  • Corresponding author. plawsky@rpi.edu
  • §wayner@rpi.edu
  • David.F.Chao@nasa.gov
  • Ronald.J.Sicker@nasa.gov

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 118, Iss. 9 — 3 March 2017

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
CHORUS

Article Available via CHORUS

Download Accepted Manuscript
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×