THERMAL-HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION OF A FLAT PLATE PULSATING HEAT PIPE FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

The design and development of pure and hybrid electric vehicles (PEV, HEV) is becoming a major focus area for the automotive industry due to their high-energy efficiency in comparison to conventional vehicles. Batteries and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) effective operation plays a key role in the overall HEV efficiency. The present research aims at proposing the pulsating heat pipe (PHP) technology as a promising candidate for the thermal management of electronics mounted aboard vehicles. A semitransparent flat plate PHP filled with ethanol has been characterized at different heat power inputs (up to 100 W) in vertical and horizontal position. Beyond the mentioned orientations, the PHP has been also tested on its edge. Starting from the latter position, the device inclination has been varied during the experiments simulating automotive pitch and roll inclinations. Results indicate that the PHP operated in the edge position allow it to reach good performances in terms of start-up heat input, thermal resistance, and operation stability; nevertheless, the dynamic pitch and roll tests show that this configuration may not be the most suitable for automotive applications.