Numerical method research and characteristics analysis on frozen start-up process of high-temperature heat pipe

Abstract

Future space exploration technology requires a long-life and reliable power source that is not reliant on solar energy. Space micro-reactors are able to meet this need, with Heat Pipe Cooled Reactors (HPR) emerging as a notable type of space micro-reactor that has attracted widespread attention in recent years. The HPR utilizes high-temperature alkali metal heat pipes for heat transfer, which presents certain complexities due to the solid state of the alkali metals working medium at room temperature. This results in a three-phase transition during the high-temperature heat pipes start-up process, which significantly impacts the heat transfer characteristics and dynamic behavior of the HPR start-up process. Consequently, thorough research is necessary in this area. Numerical simulation is a crucial tool that can effectively analyze, predict, and guide experiments. This article utilizes the Finite Volume Method (FVM) to develop a simulation code for high-temperature heat pipe frozen start-up. Various physical models are integrated to describe different components of the heat pipe: the container is represented by a two-dimensional axisymmetric heat conduction equation, the wick region utilizes a Fixed Grid Method (FGM) to depict the melting process of the medium, and the vapor channel is described through a two-dimensional axisymmetric compressible laminar flow. The wick region and vapor channel are coupled through the evaporation and condensation of the medium. For the vapor channel, numerical methods such as SIMPLE and PISO are used for solving. Adaptive time step and OpenMP acceleration are employed in the code to enhance computational efficiency. Finally, by comparing the calculated results with experimental data, the feasibility and accuracy of the code are assessed, highlighting special phenomena during the start-up process. The findings confirm that the developed code accurately predicts parameter changes during start-up, and can serve as a heat pipe analysis module for multi-physics coupling analysis of HPR.