Abstract
An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effects of different working fluids on the behavior and thermal performance of a hi-directional thermodiode. The thermodiode was made up of two rectangular loops mounted between a collector plate and a radiator plate. Rotatable joints between the horizontal and inclined segments of the loops enable easy alteration of the direction of heat transfer. The loops and the tank were filled with a working fluid for effective heat transfer when the thermodiode was forwarded biased. Six different working fluids were tested with thermal conductivity values ranging from 0.1 to $0.56W/m-^{\circ}C$, thermal expansion coefficient values ranging from $1.8\;{\times}10^{-4}$ to $1.3\;{\times}\;10^{-3}\;K^{-1}$, and kinematic viscosity values ranging from $0.65\;{\times}\;10^{-6}$ to $100\;{\times}\;10^{-6}\;m^2/s$. Especially, mixtures of $Al_2O_3$ (30nm Particle) in deionized water have been tested for the volumetric ratios of 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.1, 0.2%. Each experiment was carried out after the loop was filled with a working fluid for effective heat transfer and the thermodiode was forwarded biased. The solar thermodiode was heated by a radiant heater consisting of 20 halogen lamps that generated a heat flux of about $1000\;W/m^2$ on the collector surface. Results are given in terms of temperature development in different parts of the loop as heat is delivered from its hot end to the surrounding atmosphere by the radiator made of copper plates.
