Novel Groove-Shaped Screen-Wick Miniature Heat Pipe

Abstract

Miniature heat pipes (MHP) are passive heat transport devices mainly considered in electronics packaging for high heat flux acquisition and transport. Their applications could include thermal management of a variety of electronic devices such as computer processors and laser diodes. A novel screen-wick design suitable for MHP is described. The new design promises improved performance and ease of fabrication and is recommended in place of the familiar forms of rectangular groove design MHP. Design and fabrication details, along with steady-stale horizontal orientation performance test results of a proof-of-concept rectangular copper-water heat pipe are presented. Heat flux, temperature difference, and heat transfer coefficient data are compared with the literature data of a comparable flat MHP with a machined groove wick. The performance of the new design matches the comparable groove design. The highest applied evaporator heat flux at the heater surface was 115 W/cm 2 at an operating temperature of 90°C and evaporator-to-adiabatic temperature difference of 37°C. Results on the heat transfer coefficients are also presented.