HEAT AND FLUID TRANSPORT IN AN EVAPORATIVE CAPILLARY PUMP

The thermal and fluid mechanical properties of an evaporative capillar y pump are described by means of characteristics that have been determ ined by tests. The capillary pump, which has been newly designed for a n application in future space projects, serves a double function as th e heat absorbing element in a closed loop as well as a pump circulatin g the working fluid. The working fluids used were CCl3F (freon R11) an d liquid anhydrous ammonia. The paper describes the associated heat an d mass transport in the capillary pump, and the physical process of th e capillary pumping is explained. Furthermore, a model is introduced w hich explains the boiling heat transfer in the porous structure of the capillary pump.