WickSolve Version 1.0

Abstract

WickSolve is a code used to design wick structures for sodium heat pipe receivers for dish Stirling systems. WickSolve can model distributed pore size wicks in domes and cylinders, and interfaces with CIRCE2, another Sandia code, to determine flux boundary conditions to the wick. WickSolve is available as an executable for Windows computer systems. Wicksolve is used for design of wick structures for high temperature sodium heat pipes for solar applications. These wick structures may contain a distribution of pore sizes (felt metal, sintered metal powders, etc) to enhance heat transfer by allowing partial wick dryout. WickSolve incorporates a 2-D liquid flow model (finite differencing) to model in-plane liquid flow, and a 1-D vapor flow finite difference model for vapor flow perpendicular to the liquid flow surface. The models are coupled by the liquid void fraction in the wick, and solved iteratively.