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HEAT PIPE | WORKING AND APPLICATION

Sachin Thorat

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Project Report

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ABSTRACT

The heat pipe is a device having a high thermal conductance which utilizes
the transport of a vapour and rejection of latent heat to achieve efficient
thermal energy transport. The theory of heat pipes is well developed. Their
use in applications involving temperatures in the cryogenic regime, and with
development units running as high as 2000 degrees C, shows that they can

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function over a large part of the temperature spectrum. Applications in

spacecraft, electronics and die casting are but few of the uses for these
devices.

Heat Pipe

A heat pipe is a device that efficiently transports thermal energy from its
one point to the other. It utilizes the latent heat of the vaporized
workingfluid instead of the sensible heat. As a result, the effective thermal

conductivity may be several orders of magnitudes higher than that of

thegood solid conductors.

INTRODUCTION TO HEAT PIPE

Heat Pump

A heat pipe consists of a sealed container, a wick structure, a small amount of

working fluid that is just sufficient to saturate the wick and it is in equilibrium with

its own vapor. The operating pressure inside the heat pipe is the vapor pressure of
its working fluid. The length of the heat pipe can be divided into three parts viz.

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evaporator section, adiabatic section and condenser section.

2.DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
The three basic components of a heat pipe are :

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1. The container.

2. The working fluid.

3. The wick or capillary structure.

CONTAINER
The function of the container is to isolate the working fluid from the outside

environment. It has to therefore be leak-proof, maintain the pressure

differential across its walls, and enable transfer of heat to take place from
and into the working fluid.

Selection of the container material depends on many factors. These are

as follows:

Compatibility (both with working fluid and external environment)

Strength to weight ratio
Thermal conductivity

Ease of fabrication, including welding, machine ability and ductility

Porosity

Wettability
Most of the above are self-explanatory. A high strength to weight ratio is
more important in spacecraft applications. The material should be nonporous to prevent the diffusion of vapor. A high thermal conductivity
ensures minimum temperature drop between the heat source and the
wick.

WORKING FLUID
A first consideration in the identification of a suitable working fluid is the
operating vapour temperature range. Within the approximate temperature
band, several possible working fluids may exist, and a variety of

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characteristics must be examined in order to determine the most

acceptable of these fluids for the application considered.
The prime requirements are:

compatibility with wick and wall materials

good thermal stability

wettability of wick and wall materials

vapor pressure not too high or low over the operating temperature

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range

high latent heat

high thermal conductivity

low liquid and vapor viscosities

high surface tension

acceptable freezing or pour point

The selection of the working fluid must also be based on thermodynamic

considerations which are concerned with the various limitations to heat

flow occurring within the heat pipe like, viscous, sonic, capillary,entrainment
and nucleate boiling levels.

WICK OR CAPILLARY STRUCTUR E

It is a porous structure made of materials like steel, alumunium, nickel or
copper in various ranges of pore sizes. They are fabricated using metal

foams, and more particularly felts, the latter being more frequently used. By

varying the pressure on the felt during assembly, various pore sizes can be

produced. By incorporating removable metal mandrels, an arterial structure

can also be molded in the felt. Fibrous materials, like ceramics, have also
been

used

widely.

They

generally

have

smaller

pores.

The

main

disadvantage of ceramic fibres is that, they have little stiffness and usually
require a continuos support by a metal mesh. Thus while the fibre itself

may be chemically compatible with the working fluids, the supporting

materials may cause problems.More recently, interest has turned to carbon

fibres as a wick material. Carbon fibre filaments have many fine longitudinal

grooves on their surface, have high capillary pressures and are chemically

stable. A number of heat pipes that have been successfully constructed

using carbon fibre wicks seem to show a greater heat transport capability.
The prime purpose of the wick is to generate capillary pressure to transport

the working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator. It must also be able

to distribute the liquid around the evaporator section to any area where

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heat is likely to be received by the heat pipe. Often these two functions

require wicks of different forms. The selection of the wick for a heat pipe

depends on many factors, several of which are closely linked to the

properties of the working fluid.

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HEAT PIPE :

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A metal cylinder is sealed with a fluid within it creating a closed system. One
end of the tube is heated and the other is cooled. The heat source (the
evaporator) causes the fluid to boil and turn to vapor (this is absorbing

energy as heat). When that hap latent heat of vaporization. The gas, which

then has a higher pressure, moves inside the sealed container to a colder

location where it condenses. Once the vapor reaches the cold end of the
tube (the condenser), the fluid changes phase again from vapor back to a

liquid. Thus, the gas gives up the latent heat of vaporization and moves heat

from the input to the output end of the heat pipe. This liquid returns to the
hot (evaporator) end by means of a wick so that the liquid can repeat the
process. This process is capable of transporting heat from a

hot region to a colder region. It requires no addition of external energy.

Heat Pipe Applications

Electronics cooling- Small high performance components cause high heat

fluxes and high heat dissipation demands. Used to cool transistors
and high density semiconductors.
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Aerospace-Cool satellite solar array, as well as shuttle leading edge

during reentry.

Heat exchangers- Power industries use heat pipe heat exchangers as air
heaters on boilers.
Other applications- Production tools, medicine and human body
temperature control, engines and automotive industry.

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Types of Heat Pipes

Thermosyphon- Gravity assisted wickless heat pipe. Gravity is used to

force the condensate back into the evaporator. Therefore, condenser
must be above the evaporator in a gravity field.
Leading edge-Placed in the leading edge of hypersonic vehicles to cool
high heat fluxes near the wing leading edge

Rotating and revolving- Condensate returned to the evaporator through

centrifugal Force.No capillary wicks required. Used to cool turbine
component and armatures for electric motors.
Cryogenic- Low temperature heat pipe. Used to cool optical instruments
in space.

Flat Plate- Much like traditional cylindrical heat pipes but are

rectangular. Used to cool and flatten temperatures of semiconductor

or transistor packages assembled in arrays on the top of the heat
pipe.

Capillary pumped loop heat pipe- For systems where the heat fluxes are

very high or where the heat from the heat source needs to be moved far
away. In the loop heat pipe, the vapor travels around in a loop where it
condenses and returns to the evaporator. Used in electronics cooling.
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Main Heat Transfer Limitations

Capillary limit- Occurs when the capillary pressure is too low to provide

enough liquid to the evaporator from the condenser. Leads to dryout in

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the evaporator. Dryout prevents the thermodynamic cycle from

continuing and the heat pipe no longer functions properly.
Boiling Limit- Occurs when the radial heat flux into the heat pipe causes
the liquid in the wick to boil and evaporate causing dryout.

Entrainment LimitAt high vapor velocities, droplets of liquid in the wick are torn from the
wick and sent into the vapor. Results in dryout.
Sonic limit- occurs when the vapor velocity reaches sonic speed at the
evaporator and any increase in pressure difference will not speed up
the flow; like choked flow in converging diverging nozzle. Usually
occurs during startup of heat pipe.
Viscous Limit- at low temperatures the vapor pressure difference
between the condenser and the evaporator may not be enough to
overcome viscous forces. The vapor from the evaporator doesnt
move to the condenser and the thermodynamic cycle doesnt occur.
HEAT PIPES IN DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES
MEGA FLATS

Flat heat pipes are typically used for cooling printed circuit boards or for

heat leveling to produce an isothermal plane. Mega flats are several flat heat
pipes sandwiched together.

Some of the flat heat pipes manufactured are:

XY Mega Flats:

Surface maintained within .01 F isothermal with

concentrated load centers.

6" X 6" Mega Flat: Dissipated 850 watts from a printed circuit board.

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DIFFERENT MEGA FLATS

Weight Reduction Mega Flats:

Standard - aluminum construction.

Lightweight - the weight of aluminum.

Very light weight - 1/3 the weight of aluminum.

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