Experimental investigation on the optimization of different filling ratios for large-size flat plate heat pipe array

Abstract

To meet the increased heat dissipation demands of 5G base stations, a flat plate heat pipe array (FPHPA) of 500 × 200 × 3 mm3 comprising of 19 independent channels is developed. To investigate the thermal performance of the FPHPA under different filling ratios (FR) and heat powers (30–300 W), a multi-channel independent filling system is designed to conduct two experimental cases: uniform or asymmetric filling of all channels. Results indicate that 30 %–70 % FR exhibits better thermal performance and can replace the aluminum plate over a broader heat power range. Furthermore, separate tests are conducted to evaluate the heat transfer and start-up performance of the FPHPA. The optimal filling ratio interval of single channel at different heat fluxes is derived through asymmetric filling. Subsequently, a mixture model is proposed and compared with the uniform filling ratio case, resulting in optimized heat transfer performance. The optimized FPHPA provides better heat transfer performance, effectively reducing the area averaged wall temperature and ensuring the normal operation of the 5G base station.