Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Start-up of a Capillary Pumped Loop for Terrestrial Applications

Flavio Accorinti (1, 2) , Nicolas Blet (3) , Vincent Ayel (1, 2) , Sébastien Dutour (4) , Yves Bertin (1, 2)

1 PPrime [Poitiers] - Institut Pprime [UPR 3346]
2 COST - Convection, Optimisation, Systèmes Thermiques [Institut Pprime]
3 LEMTA - Laboratoire d'Energétique et Mécanique Théorique et Appliquée
4 LAPLACE-GREPHE - Groupe de Recherche Energétique, Plasmas et Hors Equilibre

A study on the start-up phases of a Capillary Pumped Loop for Terrestrial Application is proposed in this paper. Experimental analysis and numerical modelling, using a 1-D spatial discretization model based on Navier-Stokes equations and solved by electrical analogy, are presented to study the thermal and hydraulic behavior of the loop for methanol and n-pentane as working fluids, during start-up transient phases. The experimental observations are backed up by the numerical model to help the transient analysis of this kind of loop. The precise numerical study allows us to have a better understanding of the complicated phenomena happening during the start-up and to have a global view of the system during these phases. In this study it will be also showed the influence of vapor line solid walls thermal inertia and its impact on the dynamic behavior and on the success of the start-up of the loop.

Mots clés: Computer simulation; Experimental analysis; Fluids; Inertia (Mechanics); Methanol; Modeling; Navier-Stokes equations; Numerical analysis; Transient analysis; Transients (Dynamics); Vapors

Domaines: Thermique [physics.class-ph]

Flavio Accorinti, Nicolas Blet, Vincent Ayel, Sébastien Dutour, Yves Bertin. Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Start-up of a Capillary Pumped Loop for Terrestrial Applications. Journal of Heat Transfer, 2019, ⟨10.1115/1.4044276⟩. ⟨hal-02282347⟩