Research progress on performance enhancement of heat pipes: a review

Abstract

Heat pipes are silent heat transfer devices that work on the motion of boiling and condensation process. They have been used in space crafts, heat recovery and ventilation, power conversion, energy, and electronics cooling applications. Over the past few eras, several necessary upgradations in heat pipe technologies have happened to implement new advanced fluids, design modification, and modified wick structures. Heat transfer enhancement due to these upgradations/implementations has been deliberated in many studies. In this paper, performance studies of heat pipes with deposition of nanoparticles and suitable coating made on the wick structure are reviewed. Various heat transfer mechanisms involved in heat pipes with nanoparticles deposition on the evaporator are summarized. Also, the various heat transfer mechanisms in heat pipes while using a nanofluid and a porous coating in the evaporator are summarized. This review shall offer a superior comprehension of the improvement required in cooling devices and help future research fraternity to develop advanced cooling gadgets.