Heat Pipe

2016/8/2

Structure and Operation

working fluid at saturated state wic
k

evaporato
r

adiabati
c
1. Transfer large amount of heat
2. over fairly large distance
3. at constant temperature

condenser

Structure and Operation

hea
t

hea
t
evaporato
r

capillary effect
water
flow
vapor
flow
water
flow
adiabati
c

hea
t

hea
t
condenser

Structure and Operation

Wick structure

grooves

wire screen

Sintered
metal W.W. Wits 2008. [3]
grooves : low cost, high permeability, weak capillary
effect
wire screen and sintered metal : low permeability,
strong capillary effect
(resistant to heat source
orientation)

Reference
[4]

Heat Transfer Limitations

Capillary limitation

W.W. Wits 2008.

[3]

W.W. Wits 2008. [3]

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

Variation of meniscus curvature as a function of axial position

Heat Transfer Limitations

Capillary limitation

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

Typical liquid and vapor pressure distributions in a heat pipe

Heat Transfer Limitations

Capillary limitation

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

Heat Transfer Limitations

Sonic limitation
The sonic limitation also can occur in heat pipes during start-up at low tem
peratures.
The low temperature reduces the speed of sound in vapor core.
A sufficiently high mass flow rate can cause sonic flow conditions and gen
erate a shock wave that chokes the flow and restricts a pipes ability to tran
sfer heat to the condenser.
Choked flow is a limiting condition where the mass flow will not increase
with a further decrease in the downstream pressure environment
while upstream pressure is fixed.
Reference [6]

Heat Transfer Limitations

Entrainment limitation
As a result of the high vapor velocities, liquid droplets may be picked up or
entrained in the vapor flow and cause excess liquid accumulation in the co
ndenser and hence dryout of the evaporator wick.
This phenomenon has something to do with the pore size in the wick.

Heat Transfer Limitations

Boiling limitation
At very high heat fluxes, nucleate boiling may occur in the wicking structu
re and bubbles may become trapped in the wick, blocking the liquid return
and resulting in evaporator dryout.
The capability of the heat transition in the radial direction is important.

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Other Heat Pipes

Variable conductance heat pipes (Gas loaded heat pipes)
Adding incondensable gases
maintain the evaporator
at a near constant
temperature
independent of the power
input

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

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Other Heat Pipes

Variable conductance heat pipes (Gas loaded heat pipes)

provide a passively controlled

variable condenser area that
increases or decreases heat transfer
in response to the heat pipe vapor
temperature

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

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Other Heat Pipes

Loop heat pipes

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

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Other Heat Pipes

Loop heat pipes

1. without restriction on the routing of the

liquid and vapor lines
2. Ability to operate over a range of gravity
environments and over long distance

3. No wick within the transport lines

4. Vapor and liquid flows separated;
therefore, no entrainment
A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

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Other Heat Pipes

Micro heat pipes

1. no wicking structure is required

A.F. Mills 1999. [1]

2. small size promotes more uniform temperature and improves thermal control
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Reference
[1] A.F. Mills 1999. Heat Transfer, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
[2] HoSung Lee 2010. Thermal Design Heat Sinks, Thermoelectrics, Heat Pipes, Compact Heat
Exchangers, and Solar Cells
[3] W.W. Wits ,R. Legtenberg and J.H. Mannak 2008. Selecting Capillary Structures For Heat Pipes
In Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards
[4]
https://www.thermalfluidscentral.org/encyclopedia/index.php/Heat_Transfer_Limitations_of_Heat_P
ipes#Capillary_Limit
[5] http://celsiainc.com/heat-pipe/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choked_flow

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