Experimental investigations and modeling of a loop thermosyphon for cooling with zero electrical consumption

Abstract This paper presents an analytical model for a thermosyphon loop developed for cooling air inside a telecommunication cabinet. The proposed model is based on the combination of thermal and hydraulic management of two-phase flow in the loop. Experimental tests on a closed thermosyphon loop are conducted with different working fluids that could be used for electronic cooling. Correlations for condensation and evaporation heat transfer in the thermosyphon loop are proposed. They are used in the model to calculate condenser and evaporator thermal resistances in order to predict the cabinet operating temperature, the loop's mass flow rate and pressure drops. Furthermore, various figures of merit proposed in the previous works are evaluated in order to be used for selection of the best loop's working fluid. The comparative studies show that the present model well predicts the experimental data. The mean deviation between the predictions of the theoretical model with the measurements for operating temperature is about 6%. Besides, the model is used to define an optimal liquid and vapor lines diameters and the effect of the ambient temperature on the fluid's mass flow rate and pressure drop.

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