The characteristics of heat exchangers using heat pipes or thermosyphons

Abstract The characteristics of counter-flow heat exchanger units, using heat pipes or two-phase closed thermosyphons as the heat-transfer element, are studied experimentally and a simple analytical model was developed to predict the performance of such units using thermosyphons. The maximum heat-transfer rate has a unique functional relationship between the ratio of two stream mass flow rates, and the ratio of heated to cooled lengths of the heat-transfer elements, regardless of element bundle geometries.