Numerical Analysis of the Impact of Nanofluids and Vapor Grooves Design on the Performance of Capillary Evaporators

This paper discusses the impact of nanofluids and vapor grooves position on the performance of capillary evaporators. The phase change that occurs within the wick structure is simulated using a 2D transient mathematical model. The model combines Darcy's law, Langmuir's law, and energy equations to describe the heat and mass transfers inside the wick and the metallic wall. A comparison with experimental visualizations and numerical simulations is proposed. The analysis was performed for water and aluminum oxide nanoparticles with three volume concentrations of nanoparticles. Also, the effect of the vapor grooves configuration on the capillary evaporator performance is studied. The numerical results show that substituting water with nanofluids had a significant effect in reducing the evaporator temperature and the pressure drop in the whole loop. The present work has also shown that the contact between the metallic wall and the wick is an important element that must be taken into account in the design of the evaporator.