A gravity-type heat pipe boiling characteristics test rig was constructed to solve the heat dissipation problem of fuel cells during operation. The boiling heat transfer characteristics of water in a parallel plate under negative pressure at different inclination angles and heat flow density input are investigated. The results show that: First, the gravity-type heat pipe can dissipate some heat and it is possible to use it for fuel cell heat dissipation. Second, with a certain range of heat flow density, the temperature of all parts of the plate is about 80 °C, with a small temperature difference, which is conducive to the safe operation of the fuel cell. Third, the heat flow density is in the range of 2222~3111 W·m⁻², the temperature difference is large, and the outlet temperature is greater than 80 °C, which exceeds the operating temperature of the fuel cell, and the power-type heat pipe should be used for heat dissipation. Fourth, the average temperature of the plate placed at an inclination angle of 45°~60° is lower compared to other angles, and the temperature is evenly distributed. On the one hand, the conclusions reveal the characteristics of boiling heat exchange under negative pressure conditions of water inside the flat plate and, on the other hand, provide a reference for designing heat pipe systems for fuel cell heat dissipation.

To study energy recovery from low-temperature wastewater during industrial production, a water-boiling heat-transfer experimental device was built. A casing evaporator with a length of 1450 mm, an inner tube diameter of 30 mm, and an annular space gap of 14.2 mm is taken as the main research object. The boiling heat transfer characteristics of water in the annular tube area of the casing evaporator were experimentally studied by adjusting the inlet temperature (60-85°C) of hot water and the pressure in the annular tube (12.1-57.6 kPa). The results show that, as the pressure of the system decreases, the boiling phenomenon in the annular tube becomes more intense and the convective heat transfer coefficient increases. The boiling flow and average surface convective heat transfer enhancement rates (β) were 2.2 and 1.5 when an initial pressure of 1 kPa was used. When the flow rate of the working medium in the annular tube was 1.69 kg•m−2•s−1, the convective heat transfer coefficient gradually increased with the temperature and then stabilized when the inlet temperature reached between 80°C and 85°C. These results reveal the characteristics of boiling-water heat transfer in an annular tube and aid in the design of heat pipe systems for waste-heat recovery.

In order to investigate the recycling technology for efficiently recovering low-temperature wastewater waste heat from industrial production, we built an experimental device for forced boiling heat transfer in an annular tube. This paper takes a ring casing evaporator with an inner tube diameter of 30 mm, a length of 1450 mm, a wall thickness of 0.8 mm, and an outer tube diameter of 14.2 mm, which was used as the main object of study. We conducted experimental research on heat transfer in single-phase liquid flow and two-phase boiling phase change within annular tubes by varying the inlet circulating hot water temperature (60–85 °C), the mass flow rate of the circulating mass (0.85, 1.27, 1.69 kg m−2 s−1), and the inclination angle (0°–90°). The research results indicate that the heat transfer coefficient of boiling phase change within annular sleeves is significantly enhanced compared to convective heat transfer of single-phase liquid flow within annular tubes. This signifies that employing heat pipe technology for waste heat recovery can achieve highly efficient heat transfer processes. This study also reveals that with an increase in the inclination angle, the heat transfer coefficient on the boiling surface follows a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. Near an inclination angle of 30° within the annular jacket tube, the heat transfer coefficient of two-phase boiling phase change reaches its maximum value. The findings of this study provide certain theoretical guidance for the application of heat pipe energy-saving technology in the field of medium- and low-temperature waste water recovery and utilization.