An experimental and theoretical investigation of the transient behavior of a two-phase closed thermosyphon

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical investigation of the two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) behavior in transient regimes. Experimental results show two kinds of TPCT response. We focus on regular variations of operating system variables, where a mathematical model has been developed in order to obtain an analytical expression of the system response time. The dependence of this response time according to the various parameters is linked to geometry and heat transfer laws. The model can be considered as a simple and efficient tool for designing TPCTs in both transient and steady regimes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.