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Do heat pipes work vertically?
Originally Posted by The Heatsink Guide It is quite obvious that this design will only work in vertical orientation. To overcome this limitation, commercially available heat pipes do not rely on gravity alone to move the liquid back to the heat source; they take advantage of capillary action.
Are heat pipes directional?
Standard heat pipes will transfer heat equally in both directions. If the nominal condenser is hotter than the evaporator, then heat will flow in reverse, from the “condenser” to the “evaporator”. A diode heat pipe is used when it is necessary to prevent heat flow in the reverse direction.
Can you bend CPU cooler heat pipes?
Bending or cutting the heat pipes can render the cooler useless. The heat pipes have a small amount of wicking fluid or gas mixture in them that is necessary to allow efficient cooling of the heat pipes.
Are heat pipes necessary?
While other fancier systems do exist, for most people, they are not necessary. However, for power computer users, especially for those who overclock their systems, a heat pipe or water-cooling system is essential.
What liquid is inside heat pipes?
The most common heat pipe working fluid is water for an operating temperature range from 1°C to 325°C. Low temperature heat pipes use fluids such as ammonia and nitrogen. High temperature heat pipes utilize cesium, potassium, NaK and sodium (873–1,473°K).
Can you bend heat pipes?
Flexible and pre-bent heat pipes have been studied and successfully demonstrated in the past. Bendable heat pipes, which can be bent after fabrication as needed, are novel devices for thermal management. The effect of bending on temperature drop, performance and performance limits has also been investigated.
How does the orientation of a heat pipe work?
Orientation does often matter. As Carl’s answer mentions, the liquid can get from the condenser to the hot interface via capillary action, but most common heat pipes are designed assuming gravity will do the job.
What are the advantages of a sintered heat pipe?
One advantage of a heat pipe with a sintered powder wick is that it can work in any orientation, including against gravity (i.e., the heat source above the cooling source). The power transport capacity of the heat pipe will typically decrease as the angle of operation against gravity increases.
Is it true that heat pipes work against gravity?
It’s true that heatpipes work well enough against gravity, but remember – the liquid inside the pipe wants to rise once it vaporizes, and the liquid, being relatively cooler and denser, wants to fall.
What are the parts of a heat pipe?
There are three ‘parts’ to a heat pipe that allow it to work: a vacuum sealed enclosure, a wicking structure, and a working fluid. By a large margin, the most common type is a copper enclosure, a sintered copper wick structure that bonds to the interior surface, and de-ionized water as the working fluid.