Heat transfer enhancements in heat pipe constructed with a copper porous microstructure

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to measure heat transfer performance in heat pipe cooling device under constant heat flux condition. Emphasis is placed on a surface modification of heat pipe to enhance heat transfer performance. The surface fabricated here is coated by hydrogen codeposition of copper electrodeposits to modify the surface’s porosity and roughness. It is found that thermal resistance for the coated surface is suppressed to 16% as compared to the uncoated surface, that is, the surface modification results in attenuation on heat pipe’s thermal resistance, especially for low heat flux. This characteristic, by an electron microscope, is explained as the formation of the rough inner surface in heat pipe which supports higher heat transfer as compared to the uncoated surface.

KEYWORDS:

• Heat transfer enhancement
• heat pipe
• surface fabrication
• hydrogen codeposition