Week Two Update

Week Two Update

The major tasks of this week include the construction of a CAD model, virtual testing of this CAD model, design proposal completion, and material acquisition.

CAD Model

A computer aided design model was completed to provide a "blueprint" for manufacturing and to provide a model for computer aided thermal testing. The figures below display this model.

The pipe design is 2' in length and is 1" in diameter. The condenser end of the pipe has 40 radiator fins protruding radially from the pipe. Both ends of the pipe have 1" diameter caps to seal the pipe. In addition to this, there is a shaped wick design that lines the interior of the pipe. This wick design is displayed below (figure displays end of pipe with cap removed).

Computer Aided Testing

Creating a three dimensional CAD model also enables thermal testing to be conducted. In the test displayed below, a thermal stress of  200 degrees Celsius was applied to the evaporator end of the heat pipe design. This test simulates the effects of heat conduction through the walls of the copper pipe and heat loss due to convection. Autodesk Fusion 360 is unable to simulate heat transfer due to the phase transition of the working fluid, however, this simulation still provides an understanding of how much heat is dissipated by the materials of the pipe itself. It will provide a better idea of the amount of heat transferred by the two mechanisms in the heat pipe: conduction through the copper in the pipe and heat transfer due to the phase transition of the working fluid.

Material Acquisition

This week the group went to get the initial materials for the heat pipe prototype. The material that the pipe is made of is copper, and the cap for the pipe is also copper. One end of the pipe will have a threaded end soldered on, and will be closed with a threaded bronze cap. The wick material has not been acquired, but we decided on getting cotton pads to line the pipe. Finding an adhesive that can withstand high temperatures also proved to be difficult. The total cost of materials for the pipe thus far is approximately $50. 

Design Proposal Completion

A design proposal was written, with each team member contributing to various sections. In the proposal, various aspects of the project were detailed. The paper outlines the deliverable heat pipe to be constructed, and discusses the design and properties of it, as well as the research behind the selected design. A timeline was proposed, outlining what weeks of the project will correspond with different stages, such as research, materials acquisition, manufacturing, testing, and optimization. Different skills, tools, and work spaces required for the completion of the project were listed, as well as a budget for all of the materials necessary.