Performance assessment of commercial heat pipes with sintered and grooved wicks under natural convection

Abstract

Heat pipes are widely used in thermal management of high heat flux devices due to their ability of removing high heat loads with small temperature differences. While the thermal conductivity of standard metal coolers is approximately 100–500 W/m.K, effective thermal conductivities of heat pipes, which utilize phase-change heat transfer, can reach up to 50,000 W/m.K. In industrial applications, commercially available heat pipes are commonly preferred by thermal engineers due to their low cost and versatility. Thermal performance of a heat pipe is functions of heat pipe type and operating conditions. Selection of the appropriate heat pipe complying with the operating conditions is critical in obtaining satisfactory thermal management. One key point for the utilization of heat pipes is to avoid dryout operation condition in which heat pipes operate no more at the desired heat transport capacity. In the current study, the performance of cylindrical heat pipes with sintered and grooved wick structures, which are among the most commonly used types, is experimentally tested at different heat loads, gravitational orientations and ambient temperatures. Dryout limits of the heat pipes are determined and the relationship between the dryout onset and operating conditions is elucidated. The results reported in the present study are expected to guide thermal engineers for the proper selection and operation of conventional heat pipes.