Abstract

In the present work, experimental and theoretical investigations have been conducted on a copper/water wire plate micro heat pipe (MHP). The experimental results show that its effective thermal conductivity is improved by a factor 1.3 as compared to the empty MHP array. A numerical model is used to predict the fluid distribution along the MHP axis, the temperature field and the maximum heat flux corresponding to the MHP capillary limit. The 1D, steady-state hydrodynamic model is based on the conservation equations for the liquid and vapour phases. The wall temperatures are calculated from the thermal resistance network of the wall and the liquid film. A good agreement between the theoretical and experimental data is achieved. The effect of various parameters-contact angle, fluid type, corner angle, fill charge-is theoretically investigated. (C) 2003 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.