Numerical simulation-based study of the effect of air intake mode on heat pipes

The gas-phase flow characteristics of heat pipes are important for the structural design and safety analysis of heat pipe reactors. To investigate the elements affecting the simulation of the gas phase of the heat pipe, two types of air inlets are considered for the heat pipe: end inlet and side inlet. With fixed parameters and selected literature, we compare two types of air intake, end intake, and side intake, on heat pipe gas phase simulation results. The results show that the simulation results of the side inlet scheme relative to the end inlet scheme in the simulation scheme are closer to the document results, and the results of the study can be used for a deeper understanding of the working mechanism of the heat pipe and the optimization of the design, which can provide theoretical references for the design of a more efficient heat pipe system.