Performance Of Heat Pipe Research Articles

Transient study on heat transfer and flow performance of alkali metal heat pipe in space nuclear powered heat pipe radiator

The non-direct contact radiator has a simple structure and high reliability, making it more suitable for long-life nuclear powered spacecraft. This article is based on Fortran language and innovatively combines molecular dynamics models to establish a two-dimensional transient analysis program for thermo-hydraulic performance of rubidium heat pipes. The unsteady Navier Stokes control equation, heat conduction equation, and continuity equation is calculated by the finite difference method. This study adopt molecular dynamics theory for the first time to deal with condensation/ evaporation at the interface of alkali metal heat pipes under the background of space nuclear power. The delay method and multi grid method are used to ensure convergence and accelerate calculation speed. The transient thermo-hydraulic performance of different positions of heat pipes in non-direct contact radiators during start-up are analyzed. Current research can provide scientific reference for the upgradation of heat pipe radiators for nuclear powered spacecraft.

Multi-criteria decision analysis and experimental study on heat pipe thermoelectric generator for waste heat recovery

In the realm of heat conversion and utilization, gravity heat pipes have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional heat conduction efficiency. As a strategy to effectively enhance the efficiency of thermoelectric generator (TEG) systems through shallow geothermal heat recovery, optimizing the performance of gravity heat pipes holds significant implications for their widespread application in the field of sustainable energy. Experimental evaluations comprehensively assessed the performance of a 6 m gravity heat pipe within a temperature difference power generation system, employing multi-criteria decision-making to test thermal performance, efficiency, reliability, stability, and working fluid studies. The study demonstrates that the heat transfer efficiency of gravity heat pipes is highest under film boiling conditions at 250 °C to 350 °C. By adjusting the inclination angle to 60° to 90° and the filling ratio to 30 %–60 %, the power generation efficiency can be improved to 9.71 %. With an increase in wind speed to 8 m/s, the cold end temperature decreases by 30 %, resulting in a peak power generation efficiency of up to 11.3 %. Additionally, CHIME connection methods reduce energy losses to 8.1 %, providing crucial scientific foundations for the design and optimization of temperature difference power generation systems. These findings not only elucidate the heat transfer mechanisms of gravity heat pipes but also offer technical guidance for efficient energy conversion in thermoelectric generator systems.

Effect of tilt angle and base plate design on the performance of a loop heat pipe driven by vapor–liquid injector

With the rapid development of microelectronics technology and the increasing heat flux of electronic devices, loop heat pipes have garnered significant attention for their highly efficient passive heat transfer performance. However, the heat transfer performance of conventional loop heat pipes is impaired by the heat leakage, and the maximum heat flux is unable to meet the heat dissipation requirement of high-heat-flux devices. To solve this problem, a loop heat pipe with a vapor-driven injector (LHPI) was previously proposed. However, only the heat transfer performance of the horizontally-placed LHPI had been investigated in the preliminary stage, and the effect of gravity on the heat transfer performance was not further discussed. Now in this paper, a 360° rotatable experimental bench is designed to investigate the influence of the tilt angle on the performance of LHPI. In addition, a capillary wick is integrally sintered with the trough baseplate and the microcolumn baseplate of the LHPI, respectively, to reduce the thermal resistance between them. The results show that the heat transfer performance of LHPI is significantly affected by its tilt angle. In the horizontal condition, LHPI exhibits the lowest baseplate temperature and thermal resistance, and the best heat transfer performance, which verifies its applications in engineering. Integral sintering increases the maximum thermal load from 300 W to 350 W under stable operation conditions of LHPI. The maximum thermal load of the integrated micro pin-finned baseplate reaches 500 W, which improves the heat dissipation effect by 42 % in heat dissipation compared to the trough baseplate under the same conditions., providing an improvement angle for the traditional LHP.

A novel coaxial heat pipe with an inner vapor tube for cooling high power electronic devices

Improving heat transfer limit of heat pipe is important for their application in high-power equipment system. Shear stress at the liquid–vapor interface affects the heat transfer capacity of heat pipe. In this study, a novel coaxial heat pipe is designed to eliminate vapor entrainment from interfacial shear stress for the first time. An inner thin-walled tube is sintered with the powder wick in the adiabatic section by one-step sintering process. The effects of filling ratio and powder size of sintered wick on the thermal performance of coaxial heat pipe are investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the optimal powder size range for the sintered wick of coaxial heat pipe is 106–125 μm, while the optimal filling ratio is about 125 %. It means that the sintered wick with 106–125 μm powder can achieve better trade-off between capillary performance and permeability. The coaxial heat pipe can operate at heat loads of 70 ∼ 140 W with the total thermal resistance less than 0.06 °C /W. Moreover, compared with the normal heat pipe, the heat transfer capacity of coaxial heat pipe is increased by 57 %, while the evaporation temperature is decreased by 9.6 ∼ 19.1 °C and the total thermal resistance is decreased by 41 %∼320 %. The inner tube can improve the replenishment efficiency of working liquid by eliminating interfacial shear stress, resulting in the significant heat transfer improvement. The design of coaxial heat pipe is an effective and low-cost solution to improve the thermal performance of heat pipe.

Correlation to predict thermal characteristics of pulsating heat pipes with long evaporator section

In terms of employing closed-loop pulsating heat pipes as heat transfer devices in solar water heaters, the evaporator should be extremely long according to the length of the solar collector. However, there is a noticeable shortage of Semi-Empirical Correlations for predicting the thermal performance of extra-long closed-loop pulsating heat pipes utilized for heat absorption within solar collectors. The primary objective of this study was to formulate a Semi-Empirical Correlation specifically designed for predicting the thermal efficiency in extra-long closed-loop pulsating heat pipe configurations. This study extensively examined the thermal efficiency of a comprehensive design of closed-loop pulsating heat pipe samples when implemented in an evacuated-tube solar water heater system strategically designed for individual households. The specified maximum length for the evaporator section of the closed-loop pulsating heat pipes is set at 1.50 m, in contrast to the conventional design, which typically features an evaporator section of approximately 0.15 m. Furthermore, the investigation encompasses a number of sets, varying as one, two, and four. Therefore, a Semi-Empirical Correlation derived from the experimental data concerning seven pertinent non-dimensional parameters is presented, demonstrating a standard deviation percentage of 4.4 %. Among these parameters, the number of sets emerged as the most influential, inducing a maximum percentage change in the heat rate of water of 20.47 %. Moreover, compared with other studies utilizing pulsating heat pipes in solar water heaters, the correlation exhibited a 1.52 % error. These findings suggest that the developed Semi-Empirical Correlation is a valuable tool for predicting the thermal performance of an extra-long closed-loop pulsating heat pipe. It is particularly well suited for estimating the thermal behavior of closed-loop pulsating heat pipes with extended configurations, showcasing its enhanced accuracy and relevance in capturing the distinction of heat transfer in extra-long closed-loop pulsating heat pipe systems.

Detailed visualization experiments on the start-up process and stable operation of double-layered pulsating heat pipes under vertical and horizontal orientations

The thermal characteristics in a double-layered 3D-CLPHP are investigated by visualization experiments. The results are compared with those of a single-layered CLPHP under the vertical and horizontal orientations and a filling ratio (FR) of 35%, 50%, or 65%. The tube's inner diameter (ID) is 6 mm, slightly over the limiting value for water. The orientation is found highly determinative to the flow pattern of liquid slug trains in each tube layer. The flow behavior appears similar for the two layers under the vertical orientation but apparently different under the horizontal orientation. When horizontally placed, the liquid slug trains tend to drain down to the lower layer, thereby not only triggered but sustained continuous pulsation motion. Intense cross-layered flow motion, attributed to the interaction between the downward gravity and upward gaseous expansion or buoyancy effect, is recorded during the operation. Sufficient working fluid distribution inside each layer for the overall FR of 65% is recommended. Instead, the single-layered CLPHP fails to maintain a stable oscillation motion without the assistance of gravity. The double-layered CLPHP outperformed the single-layered CLPHP by 12.8−15.1% in thermal resistance even under the vertical orientation.

Startup characteristics of a water loop heat pipe with dual heat sources for battery thermal management system in electric vehicle

Abstract The usage of electric vehicles has significantly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. However, the high heat release generated by the electric vehicle batteries poses a challenge. To solve this problem, scientists have created a passive cooling thermal management system specifically for electric vehicle based on heat pipes, particularly loop heat pipes. A battery pack often consists of several battery modules, which results in multiple heat sources being dispersed according to their power capacity. Startup behavior of loop heat pipe has been investigated extensively in the literature. However, most of the studies use only one heat source. This paper aims to fill the research gap, particularly when the system is implemented in dual heat sources managed by only one evaporator. To achieve the research objectives, a custom loop heat pipe was constructed. This cooling system’s design is briefly described. The evaporator is made of copper, deionized water was selected as the working fluid because of its high merit number, which indicates strong performance as a heat pipe working fluid and the stainless-steel wire mesh serves as the porous wick. Battery simulator was built using aluminum material and a cartridge heater to mimic the heat produced by the battery. Two case studies were done. First, only one battery simulator was used. Second, two battery simulators were placed on both sides of the evaporator. A type-K thermocouple attached to the NI DAQ 9214 module was used to measure the temperature while the electric heat load varied between 10 W and 50 W. The study investigated the interaction between the heat load distribution and the startup behavior of the loop heat pipe. Startup behavior is crucial for the performance of the loop heat pipe. Based on the experimental results, the loop heat pipe demonstrates outstanding startup performance. It can effectively initiate operation even at a minimal heat load as low as 30 W for the first and second case study. The findings of the study indicate that the dual heat source arrangement effectively mitigates overshoot temperatures and enhances heat transfer performance by increasing the contact area.

Evaluation of a multi-objective model for pulsed heat pipe performance

Evaluation of a multi-objective model for pulsed heat pipe performance

Performance of a novel loop heat pipe coupled with micro vapor-driven jet injector – An experimental and numerical study

Loop heat pipe (LHP) is an efficient phase-change heat transfer device which has been widely applied in cooling high-power electronics on ground and in spacecraft. In previous work, a novel LHP coupled with vapor-driven jet injector (VDJI) has been proved to be feasible and shows excellent performance, namely LHPI. However, due to the lack of pressure data during LHP operation, the coupling mechanisms of VDJI and LHP remain unknown. Especially, the heat-mass transfer between high-speed vapor and subcooled liquid inside VDJI, which has great influence on the LHPI, need to be investigated to guide the design of the LHPI. In this paper, the start-up process, steady-state operation characteristic of LHPI and internal flow field of VDJI were investigated experimentally and numerically. By using the pore-forming sintering and integrated sintering method, the bi-porous wick was prepared and embedded on the base plate surface of evaporator, which brought a significant improvement in its performance. The results indicated that the LHPI could operate under a power of 600 W (50.0 W/cm2) without dry-out. Maintaining the heating wall temperature within 85 °C, the minimum thermal resistance of the LHPI with bi-porous and integrated sintered wick was below 0.18, and the maximum heating power can reach up to 404 W, which are 60% lower and 52.5% higher than mono-porous wick, respectively. In addition, four operation modes of VDJI were classified as low-efficiency mode, normal-injection mode, restricted expansion mode and superheated mode. The operation modes of VDJI had great influence on the performance of LHPI. In normal-injection mode, the entrainment ratio of VDJI exceeded 100, which resulted in the lowest thermal resistance of LHPI. For long-term operation of LHPI, the VDJI is suggested keep operating in normal-injection mode. Moreover, by using 3D numerical simulation method, the internal flow structure of the VDJI was obtained to gives an insight into mechanisms of these four operation modes. The numerical results showed the profile of compression waves and confirmed the existence of condensation shock wave in VDJI.

A Fully 3D-Printed Flexible Polymeric Heat Pipe

Abstract A fully 3D-printed polymeric heat pipe with high flexibility and low cost was demonstrated in this study. This wickless gravity-assisted heat pipe was fabricated using a commercial stereolithography 3D printer. The interconnected pocket array was designed to reduce the wall thickness to ∼0.1mm. The post-cured heat pipe can be flexed and twisted without tearing or permanent deformation. Experimental studies were conducted to characterize the performance of the heat pipe in vertical and 90° flexed configurations. In addition, visualization based on a high-speed camera was applied to study the boiling process inside the heat pipe. By charging with a compatible dielectric fluid HFE-7100, the present heat pipe achieved 18.6 W heat dissipation over a hot spot with an area of 25×25 mm2. The result showed an effective thermal conductivity of up to 102.7 W/(m·K) when placed vertically. The bubble dynamics and heat transfer data suggested little difference in performance between the vertical and flexed configuration after the startup of the heat pipe at 5.4 W, owing to a high charging mass. Last, a comparison of the present study and other reported fully polymeric flexible heat pipes was made, and future optimization of the heat pipe performance was discussed.

Optimizing the experimental study of gravity heat pipes based on response surface design

The study employed the response surface methodology to experimentally optimize the heat transfer characteristics of a two-phase gravity heat pipe with external fins. The influence of thermal input, fin thickness, width, and spacing on the thermal resistance and heat transfer efficiency of the heat pipe was analyzed by the method of controlled variables, resulting in empirical formulas. A central composite design and response surface methodology were employed to refine the experimental design, with the findings indicating that the adjustment of input thermal power and fin parameters significantly impacts thermal resistance and heat transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the congruence between simulation outcomes and experimental data corroborates the accuracy and reliability of this approach. These insights furnish both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for augmenting the heat transfer performance of gravity heat pipes.

Liquid plug characteristics and heat transfer performance of a silicon-based ultra-thin flat heat pipe at different incline angles

Silicon-based ultra-thin flat heat pipes (UFHPs) that can be integrated with semiconductor devices provide an opportunity for electronic thermal management. To meet the requirements of various operation states, the impacts of gravity on the liquid plug characteristics and heat transfer performance of an UFHP are investigated by a visualization experiment conducted at different incline angles. Condensate flows back through microgrooves under the capillary pressure and gravity under a low heating power (capillary flow stage), and then excess condensate flows back along the edges of the UFHP under a higher heating power (gravitational flow stage). Over a certain heating power (Q ≥ 14 W), liquid plug fluctuations caused by vapor entrainment are observed with periodic dry-out at the evaporator under large incline angles (α ≥ 60°), corresponding to temperature fluctuations. Intense fluctuations of the liquid plug enhance sensible heat transfer, although the liquid plug occupies the condenser area and impedes the vapor flow. Meanwhile, evaporation at the evaporator benefits from corner-film evaporation until a large area of dry-out occurs. Due to the increased gravity and buoyancy, a larger incline angle is conducive to thermal performance enhancement, but this effect becomes restricted as the heating power rises. At a cooling-water temperature of 20 ℃ and an incline angle of 90°, the lowest thermal resistances of the UFHP yield a value of 1.14 ℃/W at 4 W in the steady stage and a value of 1.22 ℃/W at 18 W in the fluctuation stage, respectively. The heat transfer limit of UFHP with overfilling reaches 24 W, compared with the theoretical heat transfer capacity of 8.9 W at an incline angle of 90°. Additionally, a higher cooling-water temperature is beneficial for the thermal performance in the capillary flow stage, but not in the gravitational flow stage and fluctuation stage. This study provides guidance for the operational design of silicon-based UFHP for electronic thermal management.

Key Technologies for Korean Space Heat Pipe Reactor

Sustainable energy is crucial for long-term space missions. Fission surface power is a leading option due to its ability to provide consistent electricity and heat irrespective of the sun’s position or distance. A heat pipe is the primary cooling solution for space fission power systems. It operates without the need for additional electricity or gravity. It offers the advantage of streamlining the reactor design by eliminating components such as pumps and piping. This paper presents the advancements in the Korean space heat pipe reactor development program over the past 4 years. The primary objectives of this program include the development of codes for space heat pipe reactors, the innovative design of a hybrid wick structure, and the evaluation of the thermal performance of liquid-metal heat pipes.

Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Heat Pipe Using Water as a Working Fluid

Heat pipes are efficient and versatile thermal management devices widely used in various applications to transfer heat. This study focuses on investigating the heat transfer characteristics of a heat pipe employing de-ionized water as the working fluid. The experiment involved analyzing the thermal performance, heat transport capacity, and operational limits of the heat pipe. The aim of the experiment is to assess the heat pipe's performance under different operating conditions, such as varying heat loads. The study aimed to understand the heat transfer limitations and advantages of water-based heat pipes, which can have practical implications for numerous applications, such as electronics cooling, solar thermal systems, and space technology

Heat extraction performance of the super-long gravity heat pipe applied to geothermal reservoirs of multi-aquifers

The super-long gravity heat pipe (SLGHP) is a novel down-hole heat exchanger (DHE), which is in fast-developing and extremely suitable for deep-earth geothermal energy exploitation. The SLGHP itself has very high heat transfer coefficient, making the poor heat transfer capability of the surrounding geothermal formulations become the bottleneck constraining the overall performance of the SLGHP geothermal system. Inspired by the enhancing effect of the flowing groundwater in the aquifers on the thermal performance of the traditional DHE system, the present work proposes a heat transfer enhancement strategy based on arousing inter-layer crossflow in wellbore-connected multi-aquifers for the SLGHP geothermal system. A detailed numerical study is conducted to examine the effects of key parameters like the permeability and thickness of aquifers, the distance and pressure difference between aquifers. It is found that: i) a larger aquifer permeability leads to larger heat extraction rate of the SLGHP, but the heat extraction rate increment decreases due to the marginal effect when the aquifer permeability is larger than 10−12 m2; ii) a larger pressure difference improves the heat extraction of the SLGHP, the groundwater flow pattern from the deep to the shallow aquifers rather than the reversed pattern is found to be more beneficial due to the geothermal gradient; iii) the distance between aquifers shows a composite impact on the heat extraction performance of the SLGHP. A larger distance not only enlarges the heat transfer area between the SLGHP and the groundwater, but also creates an impeding effect on the heat uptake of SLGHP from the geothermal formation owing to the presentence of temperature-lowered groundwater in the flow path ending-part in the wellbore. In addition, the aquifer's thickness is found to have great impacts on the SLGHP heat extraction rate, and the “cask” effect may be encountered when the thickness difference between the connected aquifers is considerably large.

Mechanical and thermal performances of multistage flexible thermal control device: A case study in cylindrical heat pipe

Multistage flexible heat pipe has been proved to offer advantage of large flexibility as well as low thermal resistance. However, the effects of structural parameters on the comprehensive performances of such multistage thermal control device are still unclear, particularly regarding their mechanical properties. In this paper, effect of structural parameters on the mechanical and thermal performances of bionic multistage heat pipe is investigated. Results show that the stiffness of polymer tubes primarily determines the flexibility of multistage flexible heat pipe. The heat pipe with 4 metal tubes in the adiabatic section can achieve relative large flexibility and maximum bending angle as well as the short start-up time. The bending rigidity of multistage flexible heat pipe increases from 97624.4 N mm2 to 293152.9 N mm2 when its metal ratio raises from 0 % to 80 %. The thermal resistance of multistage flexible heat pipe decreases more than 32.9 % compared to the traditional flexible heat pipe. When the flexible heat pipe remains straight, the heat transfer performance will slightly increase as the shell metal ratio increases. However, its thermal resistance will also have an additional increase when bending. These results can serve as a guide for the design of the multistage flexible thermal control device.

Performance analysis of micro heat pipe PV/T within and outside the greenhouse in northwest China

The study investigates the performance of a micro heat pipe (MHP) photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system operating with R141b as the working fluid under the climatic conditions of Lanzhou, situated in the northwest region of China—a locale noted for its high solar insolation. This study operates the PV/T system in the greenhouse, improving system performance while addressing the issue of wind and sand adhering to the surface of PV/T panels in the northwest region, which affects system performance. Empirical analysis was conducted in summer and winter to ascertain the system's performance. Results indicated that the PCE in winter inside and outside the greenhouse were found to be 7.1% and 13.1%, respectively, while the summer season values were 6.5% and 12.3%, respectively. Notably, the average thermal power generated within the greenhouse during winter was measured at 464.8 W/m2, surpassing the outdoor average thermal power by 61.9 W/m2; similarly, in summer, the internal thermal power was 313.9 W/m2, exceeding the external by 51.7 W/m2. The total efficiency was the highest inside the greenhouse in summer, at 61.5%, while the lowest total efficiency was observed outside the greenhouse in winter, at 34.3%.

Evaluation of thermo-fluidic performance of micro pulsating heat pipe with and without evaporator side surface structures

Interfacial behaviour and thermal performance of a 4-loop micro pulsating heat pipe are examined through experiments performed at different filling ratio (30–60 %), working fluid (acetone, ethanol, and methanol), and heat input (0–40 W). During the heat pipe operation, nucleation, growth and merging of bubbles, elongation, and movement of vapor plug, and dry out conditions are noticed upon ramp heating (0–40 W) inside smooth surface evaporator pulsating heat pipe. Experiments show that preparation and boiling inception lead to steady operation of heat pipe. Pulsating heat pipe showed minimum thermal resistance when operated with 40 % filling ratio and acetone as working fluid, which has low viscosity, surface tension and boiling point. Additionally, effect of surface structures (rectangular pillar protrusion and hemispherical dimple cavity) on the evaporator section is tested against base smooth surface micro pulsating heat pipe to understand augmentation of heat transfer. Hemispherical dimple cavities show better nucleation, bubble growth, and vapor plug elongation and thereby reduction in thermal resistance. On the other hand, rectangular pillar protrusions showed clogged bubble, least bubble detachment and vapor plug length in the adiabatic zone which results in higher thermal resistance than even smooth surface.

Design and fabrication of a heat pipe and thermoelectric cooler-based food delivery box for vehicles

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in interest regarding the application of heat pipe and thermoelectric cooling technologies to recuperate waste heat, conserve energy, and augment thermal efficiency across diverse commercial and engineering domains. Particularly within the realm of food delivery services reliant on online ordering systems for the conveyance of freshly prepared meals from restaurants to consumers, sustaining the quality of food during transit poses a significant challenge due to heat dissipation from food containers over extended transportation distances. Consequently, maintaining optimal food temperature or beverage warmth in online orders becomes a pressing concern. This investigation's primary goal was to design and construct a portable heating-cooling chamber that would maintain food temperature during transportation. This technological endeavor offers a viable solution to contemporary energy dilemmas by leveraging electricity and waste energy from vehicles to furnish efficient cooling and heating mechanisms. The heating aspect of the chamber is facilitated by a meticulously developed heat pipe system that utilizes deionized water as the working fluid. Experimental results reveal that a 75 % filling ratio engenders optimal heat pipe performance across varying input power levels. The proposed design amalgamates a heating and cooling chamber, integrates a thermosyphon heat pipe within the exhaust gas trajectory to recuperate dissipated heat, and harnesses the vehicle battery to power a thermoelectric cooler. Experimental results substantiate the efficacy of the thermosyphon heat pipe in elevating the heating chamber's temperature to 48 °C within a span of 25 min, while concurrently, the thermoelectric cooler achieves the desired cooling chamber temperature of 5 °C within a mere 8 min.

Experimental study and performance enhancement of a novel micro heat pipe photovoltaic/thermal system in a cold region

The photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system, which utilizes solar energy to generate electricity and thermal energy, has significant potential in the northwest region of China, an area with abundant solar irradiation. To improve the performance of the micro heat pipe PV/T system, the study analyzed the system's thermal collection efficiency and power conversion efficiency using numerical simulation of the PV/T panel. The model incorporated double-layer glass and replaces water with nanofluid as the working medium inside the airfoil heat exchanger. The average relative error of the model was 0.9 %. In experiments conducted in Lanzhou, located in the northwest region of China, the power conversion efficiency reached its peak of 12.64 % during winter, while the thermal collection efficiency reached its maximum of 39.45 % during summer. Moreover, utilizing R141b as the working fluid in the micro heat pipe resulted in an average increase of 7.14 % in thermal collection efficiency and an average increase of 4.46 % in power conversion efficiency compared to acetone. This indicated that R141b outperforms acetone in terms of system performance. The study observed that the highest overall efficiency is achieved when the air layer thickness of the double-layer glass is 11 mm. The thermal resistance between the inner wall of the airfoil heat exchanger and the water in the PV/T components was the highest, reaching 48.85 %. Therefore, it was necessary to use nanofluids instead of water to reduce the thermal resistance of PV/T modules. The system performance remained relatively stable when the volume fraction reaches 8 %. At this volume fraction, the Al2O3-water nanofluid, Cu-water nanofluid, and Ag-water nanofluid increased the power conversion efficiency by 0.34 %, 0.72 %, and 0.77 % respectively. Moreover, they improved the thermal collection efficiency by 1.16 %, 2.69 %, and 2.78 % respectively. The micro heat pipe PV/T system was utilized for winter heating of farmers in Lanzhou and Jinchang cities. It maintained an indoor temperature of over 16 ℃ throughout the day, thus meeting the indoor heating standards.