Heat Pipe Wick Structure with Buried Fiber for Low Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pipes face challenges such as high pressure loss in wick structures, reduced thermal resistance, and fluid dry-out issues due to sintered metal powder not being firmly fixed, leading to inefficient heat transfer performance.
Innovation Solution
A heat pipe design featuring a porous wick structure made of sintered metal powder with a fiber wick buried within, reducing pressure loss and enhancing capillary action for efficient fluid return and heat transfer, while ensuring the fiber wick is entirely enclosed to prevent dry-out.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a wick structure is used to transport working fluid in heat pipe, then heat transfer performance is improved, but pressure loss increases making it difficult to transport fluid over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The wick structure is segmented into multiple layers with different functions: a first wick layer for capillary action and a second wick layer for structural support and additional capillary channels. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall pressure loss while maintaining heat transfer performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick structure uses composite material configuration with different wick materials or structures in different layers. The first wick layer may use materials with finer pores for strong capillary action, while the second layer uses materials with coarser pores for lower flow resistance, creating a composite wick system that balances capillary pressure and pressure loss.
2Reliability
If sintered metal powder is used in wick structure, then thermal resistance is reduced, but the powder may fall from the wick into grooves
Solution Approach 1:
The sintered metal powder is nested within the wick structure layers, specifically embedded in the matrix of the wick material. This nesting prevents the powder from detaching or falling into grooves while maintaining its thermal conduction function. The powder particles are trapped within the porous structure of the wick layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The sintered metal powder is pre-fixed or pre-embedded in the wick structure during manufacturing before the heat pipe is assembled. This preliminary fixation ensures the powder remains in position and does not fall into grooves during operation, while still providing the desired low thermal resistance.
3Volume of moving object
If the container is flattened to reduce size, then the heat pipe becomes thinner, but the inner space serving as flow path is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wick structure uses porous materials that provide three-dimensional capillary channels within the flattened container. This porous network creates effective flow paths that utilize the available space efficiently, allowing adequate flow path volume even in a thin, flattened geometry. The porous structure transforms the limited space into functional capillary transport channels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances heat transfer capacity by up to 150-200% compared to conventional heat pipes, reducing thermal resistance and preventing fluid scattering, allowing efficient heat transfer over long distances.
Implementation Method 1
a wick structure which comprises a porous wick made of a sintered metal powder, and a fiber wick which is formed by bundling a plurality of metal fibers... the fiber wick is formed by bundling a plurality of metal fibers in a manner such that a capillary pressure is reduced
Implementation Method 2
Conventional heat pipes are adapted to absorb heat from a heat generating object such as an electronic device in the form of latent heat of working fluid
Implementation Method 3
the working fluid is evaporated by an external heat and condensed while radiating heat
Implementation Method 4
An outer face of the porous wick exposed to an air passage serves as an evaporating face
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pipe having a wick structure for efficiently returning working fluid to an evaporating portion is provided. The heat pipe comprises a container 2 sealed at its both ends, a working fluid encapsulated in the container, and a wick structure 10 covering an inner face of the container. The wick structure 10 includes a porous wick 11 of a sintered metal powder, and a fiber wick 12 buried in the porous wick. A capillary pressure of the fiber wick 12 is weaker than that of the porous wick 11, and a pressure loss of the fiber wick 12 is smaller than that of the porous wick 11.