Two-Phase Thermosyphon Loop Thermal Management

Two-phase thermosyphon loops employ the latent heat of a working fluid to transfer thermal energy passively between an evaporator and a condenser. When heat is applied at the evaporator, liquid boils and generates vapour, which ascends under gravity through an adiabatic section to the condenser. There, the vapour releases its latent heat, condenses and the liquid returns by gravity to complete the cycle without mechanical pumps. This inherently simple architecture delivers high heat-flux removal, low thermal resistance and excellent reliability, making it well suited to electronics cooling, spacecraft thermal control, solar cooling and zero-energy building applications. Critical design factors include evaporator geometry, fluid charge, loop orientation and condenser efficiency. Recent efforts have focused on optimising fluid selection, enhancing flow stability, reducing start-up delays and broadening operational envelopes under variable thermal loads and orientations.

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Two-Phase Thermosyphon Loop Thermal Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in two-phase thermosyphon loop thermal management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Two-phase thermosyphon loop: A passive heat-transfer device using fluid evaporation and condensation between an evaporator and condenser. Working fluid charge: The mass of fluid within the loop, which affects subcooling, boiling onset and flow stability. Evaporator: The heat-input section where liquid absorbs energy and vapourises. Condenser: The heat-rejection section where vapour condenses and releases latent heat. Thermal resistance: The ratio of temperature difference across a component to the heat transfer rate, indicating insulating performance. Coefficient of performance (COP): The ratio of useful cooling or heating provided to energy input, here reflecting passive loop efficiency.

References

1. Experimental parameter studies on a two-phase loop thermosyphon cooling system with R1233zd(E) and R1224yd(Z). International Journal of Refrigeration (2021).
2. Experimental Investigations of a Passive Cooling System Based on the Gravity Loop Heat Pipe Principle for an Electrical Cabinet. Applied Sciences (2022).
3. Modelling of a Two-Phase Thermosyphon Loop for Passive Air-Conditioning of a House in Hot and Dry Climate Countries. Energy and Power Engineering (2021).