Miniature Heat Pipe Research Articles

Improvement on thermal performance of a disk-shaped miniature heat pipe with nanofluid

The present study aims to investigate the effect of suspended nanoparticles in base fluids, namely nanofluids, on the thermal resistance of a disk-shaped miniature heat pipe [DMHP]. In this study, two types of nanoparticles, gold and carbon, in aqueous solution are used respectively. An experimental system was set up to measure the thermal resistance of the DMHP with both nanofluids and deionized [DI] water as the working medium. The measured results show that the thermal resistance of DMHP varies with the charge volume and the type of working medium. At the same charge volume, a significant reduction in thermal resistance of DMHP can be found if nanofluid is used instead of DI water.

Study on the Thermal Characteristics of Heat Pipes with Water-Based MWCNT Nanofluids

In this paper, thermal characteristics of miniature heat pipes with grooved wick and water-based multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNT) nanofluids(0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 vol.%) as working fluids are experimentally investigated. The thermal conductivity and thermal resistances are measured and compared with those of DI water. The thermal conductivity of water-based MWCNT nandfluids is enhanced by up to 29% compared with that of DI water. Experiments are performed under the same evaporation temperature condition. The thermal resistance of heat pipe is reduced from 30% to 35.2% as the volume fraction of nanoparticles inceasing from 0.1% to 0.5%. Finally, based on the experimental results, we present the reduction of the thermal resistances of the heat pipes compared with conventional heat pipes cannot be explained by only the thermal conductivity of water-based MWCNT nanofluids.

Forming Process and Mechanism of Microcapillary Grooves of Miniature Cylindrical Heat Pipe

Miniature heat pipe is one of promising means of removing high heat flux for electronics cooling in limited available space. How to produce narrow and deep microcapillary grooves is the critical issue in promoting performance of axially grooved miniature heat pipe. In this work, the microcapillary grooves for miniature cylindrical heat pipe was fabricated by using oil-filled high speed spinning method. The forming process of microcapillary grooves was investigated. The influence of technical parameters on characteristics of microcapillary grooves was analyzed and the optimal technical parameters were found out. The experimental results show that drawing speed ranging from 48cm/min to 64cm/min, spinning ball number of 4 and big distance between the end of multi-tooth mandrel and the center of spinning balls within 3.7 mm should be chosen to obtain narrow and deep microcapillary grooves. In addition, the forming mechanism was investigated by observing microstructure of cross-section of microcapillary grooved tubes.

Applying heat pipes to a novel concept aero engine: Part 1 – Design of a heat-pipe heat exchanger for an intercooled aero engine

AbstractCivil aviation has instilled new perceptions of a smaller world, creating new opportunities for trade, exchange of cultures and travelling for leisure. However, it also brought with it an unforeseen impact on the environment. Aviation currently contributes to about 3·5% of the global warming attributed from human activities. With the forecasted rate of growth, this is expected to rise to about 15% over the next 50 years. Although it is projected that the annual improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency are of the order of 1-2%, it is suggested that the current gas turbine design is fully exploited and further improvements are difficult to achieve. A new generation of aero engine core concepts that can operate at higher thermal efficiencies and lower emissions is required. One possibility of achieving higher core efficiencies is through the use of an inter-cooled (IC) core at high overall pressure ratios (OPR). The concept engine, expected to enter into service around 2020, will make use of a conventional heat exchanger (HEX) for the intercooler. This paper seeks to introduce a heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHEX) as an alternative design of the intercooler. The proposed HPHEX design takes advantage of the convenience of the geometry of miniature heat pipes to provide a reduction in pressure losses and weight when compared to conventional HEX. The HPHEX will be made of a number of stages, each stage being made of a large number of miniature heat pipes in radial configuration, that will extend from the inter-compressor duct to the bypass split, thus eliminating any ducting to and from the intercooler. This design offers up to 32% reduction in hot pressure losses, 34% reduction in cold pressure losses and over 41% reduction in weight.

Applying heat pipes to a novel concept aero engine: Part 2 – Design of a heat-pipe heat exchanger for an intercooled-recuperated aero engine

AbstractWith the ever-increasing pressure for cleaner and more fuel efficient aero engines, gas turbine manufacturers are faced with a big challenge which they are bound to accept and act upon. The path from current high bypass ratio (BPR) engines to ultra high BPR engines via geared turbo fans will enable a significant reduction in SFC and CO2 emissions. However, in order to reach the emission levels set by the advisory council for aeronautics research in Europe (ACARE), the introduction of more complex cycles that can operate at higher thermal efficiencies is required. Studies have shown that one possibility of achieving higher core efficiencies and hence lower SFC is through the use of an intercooled recuperated (ICR) core. The concept engine, expected to enter into service around 2020, will make use of a conventional fin plate heat exchangers (HEX) for the intercooler and a tube type HEX as the recuperator. Although the introduction of these two components promises a significant reduction in SFC levels, they will give also rise to higher engine complexity, pressure losses and additional weight. Thus, the performance of the engine relies not only on the behaviour of the usual gas turbine components, but will be heavily dependent on the two heat exchangers. This paper seeks to introduce a heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHEX) as alternative designs for the intercooler and the recuperator. The proposed HPHEX designs for application in an ICR aero engine take advantage of the convenience of the geometry of miniature heat pipes to provide a reduction in pressure losses and weight when compared to conventional HEX. The proposed HPHEX intercooler design eliminates any ducting to and from the intercooler, offering up to 32% reduction in hot pressure losses, 34% reduction in cold pressure losses and over 41% reduction in intercooler weight. On the other hand the proposed HPHEX recuperator design can offer 6% improvement in performance, while offering 36% reduction in cold pressure losses, up to 80% reduction in hot pressure losses and over 31% reduction in weight. An ICR using HPHEX for the intercooler and recueprator may offer up to 2·5% increase in net thrust, while still offering 3% reduction in SFC and up to 7·7% reduction in NOX severity parameter, when compared to the ICR using conventional HEX.

Modeling and Validating the Transient Behavior of Flat Miniature Heat Pipes Manufactured in Multilayer Printed Circuit Board Technology

A novel, integrated approach in thermal management of electronic products, based on two-phase cooling, is presented. A flat miniature heat pipe, integrated inside the laminated structure of a printed circuit board (PCB), has been developed, based on mainstream PCB multilayer technology. To accurately predict the thermal performance of this two-phase heat transport device and to establish the operational limitations, a numerical model based on control volume elements is discussed. The advantage of this modular approach, compared with, e.g., finite element models, is that the model can be expanded with additional components (e.g., multiple evaporators) very easily. Actual PCBs with several hot spots cooled by flat miniature heat pipes and their parameter effects can be analyzed very quickly, without the necessity of complex and time-consuming finite element analyses. Experimental verification has shown a good comparison with model predictions. Time evolution analyses show that the developed control volume model is well capable of describing the heat pipe transient behavior.

Effect of Tube Bending on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Miniature Heat Pipe with Sintered Porous Media

Miniature heat pipe is a compact heat transfer device with very high heat transfer capability. The miniature heat pipes have been widely accepted for thermal management in laptop computer. Generating heat from chip-set is rapidly transferred to a heat sink via the miniature heat pipe which occupies small space, resulting in smaller and more attractive size of the laptop. Heat pipe bending is unavoidable in such small space. However, tube bending decreases thermal performance of heat pipe and it stops working in some cases. In this study, a computer program to simulate heat transfer characteristics of a bending water-copper-sintered-wick heat pipe has been established. Domains of heat pipe consist of three parts; vapor of working fluid in vapor core which transfer heat and mass from evaporator section to condenser section, liquid of working fluid in wick which transfer heat and mass from condenser section to evaporator section in porous media by capillary force, and container wall. In simulation, fluid flow and heat transfer were assumed to be steady, laminar and incompressible. The porous media is saturated with liquid and working fluid is assumed to be Newtonian fluid. The governing equations, i.e. continuity, Navier-Stokes, and energy equations, and boundary conditions were solved by using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Several bending angles (0 and 90; angle measured from straight pipe) with 6 mm outer diameter and 200 mm length were simulated and tested. It was found that the predicted and experimental thermal resistances of heat pipe, when bending angle increases from 0 to 90, increased from 0.47°C/W to 0.65°C/W and 0.67°C/W to 0.88°C/W respectively, due to rising of the vapor pressure drop in vapor channel. The simulation results are in agreement with experimental data with 26-29% error.

PERFORMANCE OF HEAT PIPE FOR DIFFERENT WORKING FLUIDS AND FILL RATIOS

An attempt is made to design, fabricate and test a miniature heat pipe with 5 mm diameter and 150 mm length with a thermal capacity of 10 W. Experiments were conducted with and without working fluid for different thermal loads to assess the performance of heat pipe. The working fluids chosen for the study were same as those commonly used namely, water, methanol and acetone. The temperature distribution across the heat pipe was measured and recorded using thermocouples. The performance of the heat pipe was quantified in terms of thermal resistance and overall heat transfer coefficient. The amount of liquid filled was varied and the variation of the performance parameters for varying liquid inventory is observed. Finally, optimum liquid fill ratio is identified in terms of lower temperature difference and thermal resistance and higher heat transfer coefficient. The data reported in this study will serve as a good database for the researchers in this field. Overall heat transfer coefficient of the Miniature heat pipe is found to be the maximum for the Acetone as working fluid.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jme.v41i2.7473

Flat Miniature Heat Pipes for Electronics Cooling: State of the Art, Experimental and Theoretical Analysis

An experimental study is realized in order to verify the Mini Heat Pipe (MHP) concept for cooling high power dissipation electronic components and determines the potential advantages of constructing mini channels as an integrated part of a flat heat pipe. A Flat Mini Heat Pipe (FMHP) prototype including a capillary structure composed of parallel rectangular microchannels is manufactured and a filling apparatus is developed in order to charge the FMHP. The heat transfer improvement obtained by comparing the heat pipe thermal resistance to the heat conduction thermal resistance of a copper plate having the same dimensions as the tested FMHP is demonstrated for different heat input flux rates. Moreover, the heat transfer in the evaporator and condenser sections are analyzed, and heat transfer laws are proposed. In the theoretical part of this work, a detailed mathematical model of a FMHP with axial microchannels is developed in which the fluid flow is considered along with the heat and mass transfer processes during evaporation and condensation. The model is based on the equations for the mass, momentum and energy conservation, which are written for the evaporator, adiabatic, and condenser zones. The model, which permits to simulate several shapes of microchannels, can predict the maximum heat transfer capacity of FMHP, the optimal fluid mass, and the flow and thermal parameters along the FMHP. The comparison between experimental and model results shows the good ability of the numerical model to predict the axial temperature distribution along the FMHP.

Ceramic Miniature Heat Pipes and Liquid Charging Methods

Three working-liquid charging methods for miniature heat pipes are introduced, and their advantages and disadvantages are described. The methods are referred to as the micro-syringe method, thermodynamic equilibrium method, and capillary-tubing method. Using these methods, two types of ceramic heat pipes were charged and tested. The ceramic heat pipes were made of alumina and have overall dimensions of 89 mm × 12 mm × 2.9 mm and a designed vapor space of 82.5 mm × 4.1 mm × 1.27 mm. Axial micro-capillary grooves were provided on the top and bottom or sidewalls inside the heat pipes as wick structures. Water was used as the working liquid. More than 20 W of heat input was achieved on a 5 mm × 5 mm heating surface. The corresponding heat flux was 80 W/cm2.

Integrated Design and Manufacturing of Flat Miniature Heat Pipes Using Printed Circuit Board Technology

A novel, integrated approach in thermal management of electronic products, based on two-phase cooling, is presented. A flat miniature heat pipe, integrated inside the laminated structure of a printed circuit board (PCB) has been developed, based on mainstream PCB fabrication processes. Hot spots on the PCB, caused by heat dissipating components, can be cooled with relatively small temperature gradients across the board. An analytical model is presented to predict the behavior of the embedded heat pipe for various geometries, orientations, and operating temperatures. Experimental verification has shown successful heat pipe operation. The heat pipe exhibited a measured equivalent thermal conductivity more than seven times higher than solid copper. Low-thermal resistance values establish this concept as a promising thermal management solution for future electronic products. As mainstream manufacturing techniques are applied, thin PCBs with integrated cooling support can be produced at low-cost.

DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED MINIATURE COPPER HEAT PIPES FOR A COOLING SYSTEM OF A MOBILE PC PLATFORM

At present, miniature heat pipes are widely used for cooling systems of mobile PCs. This paper presents an overview of the development of miniature heat pipes (MHP) with a sintered copper wick with emphasis to different ways of heat pipe wick optimization. Several designs of cylindrical heat pipes with 4-, 5-, and 6-mm outer diameter and 200-mm length, which are the most attractive for the CPU cooling system, have been tailored, tested, and compared to theoretical values in this study to evaluate its thermal performances. A new design of 4and 5-mm-outer diameter miniature copper heat pipes with innovative wicks is suggested as a promising candidate for present and future cooling systems of high-power mobile PC platforms.

Phase change driving mechanism and modeling for heat pipe with porous wick

According to heat pipe theory, capillary force is the only driving force for the circle of working fluid in heat pipe with porous wick. By developing a simulating circuit of liquid and vapor flow in heat pipe with porous wick, this paper presents a new driving mechanism which is from phase change of fluid. Furthermore, by analyzing transport process of working fluid between evaporation and condensation interfaces, a mathematical model is developed to describe this driving mechanism. Besides, calculating examples are given for heat pipe with water as working fluid to predict its driving force and flow resistance. By applying the model presented in the paper, thermal design and calculation for heat pipe with porous wick, especially for miniature heat pipe, can be made correctly, and phase change driving mechanism of working fluid can be explained, which thereby leads to a better understanding of heat transfer limitation of heat pipe with porous wick.

Effect of working fluid on the performance of a miniature heat pipe system for cooling desktop processor

The heat transfer performance of a miniature heat pipe system (MHPS) used for cooling a desktop computer processor is presented in this paper. The MHPS consists of 6 parallel cylindrical miniature heat pipes (MHPs) which are connected to a copper block at the evaporator section and which are provided with 15 parallel perpendicular copper sheets at the condenser section, used as external cooling fins. Acetone and ethanol are used as working fluids. As heat source a processor is employed which is attached to the copper block. Heat transfer characteristics of the individual MHPs and the complete MHPS using the two working fluids are experimentally determined. The results show that the maximum and steady state temperature of the processor has been significantly reduced by using MHPs with acetone, more than with ethanol, instead of a conventional finned aluminum heat sink with cooling fan. Additional use of a fan results in a much lower processor temperature for both working fluids.

Miniature heat pipes as compressor cooling devices

The purpose of this paper is an analytical and experimental study on heat transfer and temperature distribution for hermetic refrigeration compressor using miniature heat pipes as two-phase thermal control system. Heat pipe based coolers, such as miniature and micro heat pipe spreaders, loop heat pipes and loop thermosyphons ensure the temperature decrease of the most important parts of the compressor – cylinder head, cylinder, oil and compressor shell down to 10–15 °C. The experimental validation of the analytical study was performed for four different designs of miniature heat pipes.

Heat Transport Characteristics in a Miniature Flat Heat Pipe With Wire Core Wicks

A mathematical model predicting the heat transport capability in a miniature flat heat pipe (FHP) with a wired wick structure was developed to analytically determine its maximum heat transport rate including the capillary limit. The effects of gravity on the profile of the thin-film-evaporation region and the distribution of the heat flux along a curved surface were investigated. The heat transfer characteristics of the thin-film evaporation on the curved surface were also analyzed and compared with that on a flat surface. Combining the analysis on the thin-film-condensation heat transfer in the condenser, the model can be used to predict the total temperature drop between the evaporator and condenser in the FHP. In order to verify the model, an experimental investigation was conducted. The theoretical results predicted by the model agree well with the experimental data for the heat transfer process occurring in the FHP with the wired wick structure. Results of the investigation will assist in the optimum design of the curved-surface wicks to enlarge the thin-film-evaporation region and a better understanding of heat transfer mechanisms in heat pipes.

Boiling heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids in a flat heat pipe evaporator with micro-grooved heating surface

An experimental study was performed to understand the nucleate boiling heat transfer of water–CuO nanoparticles suspension (nanofluids) at different operating pressures and different nanoparticle mass concentrations. The experimental apparatus is a miniature flat heat pipe (MFHP) with micro-grooved heat transfer surface of its evaporator. The experimental results indicate that the operating pressure has great influence on the nucleate boiling characteristics in the MFHP evaporator. The heat transfer coefficient and the critical heat flux (CHF) of nanofluids increase greatly with decreasing pressure as compared with those of water. The heat transfer coefficient and the CHF of nanofluids can increase about 25% and 50%, respectively, at atmospheric pressure whereas about 100% and 150%, respectively, at the pressure of 7.4 kPa. Nanoparticle mass concentration also has significant influence on the boiling heat transfer and the CHF of nanofluids. The heat transfer coefficient and the CHF increase slowly with the increase of the nanoparticle mass concentration at low concentration conditions. However, when the nanoparticle mass concentration is over 1.0 wt%, the CHF enhancement is close to a constant number and the heat transfer coefficient deteriorates. There exists an optimum mass concentration for nanofluids which corresponds to the maximum heat transfer enhancement and this optimum mass concentration is 1.0 wt% at all test pressures. The experiment confirmed that the boiling heat transfer characteristics of the MFHP evaporator can evidently be strengthened by using water/CuO nanofluids.

Experimental investigation on flow and thermal characteristics of a micro phase-change cooling system with a microgroove evaporator

In this paper, a natural convection micro cooling system with a capillary microgroove evaporator is proposed. An experimental study on the characteristics of thermal resistance, pressure drop and heat transfer of the cooling system is carried out. Experimental results indicate that the liquid fill ratio has a significant influence on thermal resistance and heat transfer in the cooling system. Increasing system's cooling capacity at higher input power depends on decreasing the thermal resistance between the outer surfaces of the condenser and ambient environment. Compared with a flat miniature heat pipe (FMHP) and a current fan-cooled radiator for CPU chip of Pentium IV, the present micro cooling system has a stronger heat dissipation capacity. Its best cooling performance at a surface temperature of heat source below 373 K reaches 1.68 × 10 6 W m −2 and the maximum heat transportation capacity is 131.8 W. The novel kind of cooling system is suitable for remote cooling of those electronic parts with micro size, high power and thermal sensitivity.

Miniature Heat Pipes for Thermal Control of Radio-Electronic Equipment

Miniature Heat Pipes for Thermal Control of Radio-Electronic Equipment

Heat Pipe Integrated in Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) Technology for Cooling of Power Electronics Packaging

Thermal dissipation in power electronics systems is becoming an extremely important issue with the continuous growth of power density in their components. The primary cause of failure in this equipment is excessive temperatures in the critical components, such as semiconductors and transformers. This problem is particularly important in power electronic systems for space applications. These systems are usually housed in completely sealed enclosures for safety reasons. The effective management of heat removal from a sealed enclosure poses a major thermal-design challenge since the cooling of these systems primarily rely on natural convection. In this context, the presented paper treats the heat pipes as effective heat transfer devices that can be used to raise the thermal conductive path in order to spread a concentrated heat source over a larger surface area. As a result, the high heat flux at the heat source can be reduced to a smaller and manageable level that can be dissipated through conventional cooling methods. The objective of our work is to describe the feasibility of a cooling system with miniature heat pipes embedded in a direct bonded copper (DBC) structure. The advantage of this type of heat pipe is the possibility for implementation of the component layout on the heat pipe itself, which eliminates the existence of a thermal interface between the device and the cooling system