SEMINAR

ON
HEAT
PRESENTED
PIPESBY:

Vikash naik
REGD.NO.-0401227241

WHAT IS A HEAT PIPE

Heat pipe is a simple device that can

quickly transfer heat from one point to
another.
They are often referred to as the
"superconductors" of heat as they
possess an extra ordinary heat transfer
capacity & rate with almost no heat loss.
The idea of heat pipes was first suggested by
R.S.Gaugler in 1942.In 1963, G.M.Grover
invented its remarkable properties & serious
development began.

CONSTRUCTION
It consists of a sealed hollow tube
using thermoconductive metal such as
copper or aluminium.
On the internal side of the tube's
side-walls a wick structure exerts a
capillary force.
It is similar to a thermosyphon. The
pipe Consists of a small amount of
coolant and the rest of the pipe is filled

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Three basic components of a heat

pipe are:

the container
the working fluid
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 Compatibility (both with
working fluid and external
environment) ,Strength to weight
ratio ,Thermal conductivity ,Porosity

Working fluid

The pipe contains a small quantity of a "working

fluid" or coolant (such as water, ethanol or
mercury) with the remainder of the pipe being
filled with vapour phase of the working fluid.
The materials and coolant chosen depends on
the temperature conditions in which the heat
pipe must operate, with coolants ranging from
liquid helium for extremely low temperature
applications to mercury for high temperature
conditions. However, the vast majority of heat
pipes uses either ammonia or water as working
fluid.

Wick or Capillary Structure

The prime purpose of the

wick is to generate capillary
pressure to transport the
working fluid from the
condenser to the
evaporator.
This is typically a sintered
metal powder or a series of
grooves parallel to the tube
axis, but it may in principle
be any material capable of
soaking up the coolant.

Working

Inside the container is a

liquid under its own
pressure, that enters the
pores of the capillary
material, wetting all
internal surfaces.
Applying heat at any point
along the surface of the
heat pipe causes the liquid
at that point to boil and
enter a vapor state.When
that happens,the liquid
picks up the latent heat of
vaporization.

Contd

The gas, which then has a higher

pressure, moves inside the sealed
container to a colder location where
it condenses.
Thus, the gas gives up the latent
heat of vaporization and moves heat
from the input to the output end of
the heat pipe.

Contd
Heat pipes have an effective
thermal conductivity many
times that of copper.
The heat transfer or transport
capacity of a heat pipe is
Specified by its " Axial Power
Rating (APR).
. It is the energy moving axially
along the pipe. The larger the heat pipe
diameter, greater is the APR. Similarly, longer
the heat pipe lesser is the APR. Heat pipes can
be built in almost any size and shape.

ADVANTAGES

The advantage of heat pipes is their great

efficiency in transferring heat. They are
actually a vastly better heat conductor
than an equivalent cross-section of solid
copper. Heat flows of more than
230MW/m^2 have been recorded (4 times
the heat flow from the surface of the sun).
Heat pipes contain no moving parts and
typically require no maintenance.
relatively space efficient.

LIMITATIONS

below a certain temperature, the

working fluid will not vaporize at all, and
the thermal conductivity will be reduced
to that of the solid metal casing .
When heated above a certain
temperature, all of the working fluid in
the heat pipe will vaporize and the
condensation process will cease to
occur; in such conditions thermal
conductivity will be reduced to that of
the solid metal casing.

APPLICATIONS

Heat pipes are used in a wide range of

products like air-conditioners, refrigerators,
heat exchangers, transistors, capacitors,
space staction,etc.
Heat pipes are also used in laptops to
reduce the working temperature for better
efficiency.
VAPIPE is recent developed heat pipe used
in a car engine to vaporise gasoline by
exhaust gases .

THANK YOU.