Optimization of Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC) -Cooled Closed-End
Oscillating Heat Pipe Charged with Degassed, Deionized Water

Leandro T. De Castro1, Rizalinda L. De Leon2

 ABSTRACT

A three level, three factor Box-Behnken design of experiment was conducted to determine the optimum operating condition and the effects of heat load, fill ratio and tilt-angle on the performance of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC)-cooled closed-end oscillating heat pipe charged with degassed, deionized water. The fitted quadratic model for thermal resistance, device temperatures, and DT evaluated at quasi-steady state condition against heat load of 50 watts to 100 watts, fill ratio of 30 % to 70% and tilt-angle of 30° to 90° were all significant (a=0.05). The three main effects were found to be significant in all response models except for the inclination angle having no significant effect on the average condenser temperature. Interaction of heat load and fill ratio has a negative effect on all the response variables while the quadratic effect of fill ratio is high for the average evaporator temperature and DT. Simultaneous numerical optimization of thermal resistance and evaporator temperature with the goal to minimize both evaporator temperature and thermal resistance yielded a minimum thermal resistance from 0.07305 to 0.08439 D°C/Watts and minimum evaporator temperature from 43.4 to 44.2 °C at 58.24 to 60.70 Watts heat load, 37.25 to 38.64% fill ratio, and 90.0° tilt angle. The functional models obtained can be used as basis for comparison with variations of other parameters affecting oscillating heat pipe (OHP) performance.

Keywords: Box-Behnken, Optimization, Oscillating heat pipe (OHP), Pulsating Heat Pipe (PHP), thermos-electric cooler (TEC)

1Assistant Professor 1, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of the Philippines Los Ban os, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines (Author for correspondence email: [email protected])
2Associate Professor, Fuels, Energy and Thermal Systems Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1001, Philippines

Citation:

De Castro, L.T., and De Leon, R.L. (2018). Optimization of Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC) -Cooled Closed-End Oscillating Heat Pipe Charged with Degassed, Deionized Water. Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 14, 3-18.