a case study produced by advanced thermal solutions, inc. (ats) explores the analysis and design behind an air-to-air heat exchanger that included heat pipes for an enclosure space.
ats engineers designed an air-to-air heat exchanger with heat pipes. (advanced thermal solutions, inc.)
the heat exchanger system had a specific requirement for thermal resistance (0.046°c/w), high power demands (more than 400w), be able to withstand a range of ambient temperatures (-40°c to 60°c), and needed to make sure the evaporator and condenser sections were air tight.
“using analytical modeling, ats engineers calculated the system pressure drop from the heat pipe to the fin block to the flow turn and also the thermal performance of the fins in ducted flow to determine the proper amount of fins to avoid over pressurizing the fans, while at the same time meeting the thermal resistance demands of the system,” the case study explained.
the analysis included calculations of the pressure drop across the system, the ducted flow, the heat transfer coefficient, and the fin and heat pipe resistance. there was also analysis of the difference between copper and aluminum fins.
in the end, “the customer was supplied with a production design of a heat exchanger block with heat pipes that could fit into the enclosure and provide the necessary forced convection cooling to maintain the proper temperature for the system.”
read the full case study at https://www.qats.com/cms/2017/06/16/case-study-designing-air-air-heat-exchanger-heat-pipes.
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