Graded-porosity heat-pipe wicks

Abstract

To maximize the capacity of a nonarterial heat pipe, a wick is considered whose porosity is allowed to vary axially along its length. At every axial location the porosity is set no lower than required to maintain the wick in a nearly saturated state under the maximum heat-transport rate. The result is a wick whose permeability is everywhere as high as possible. The differential equation that governs the optimum porosity variation is solved numerically between a condenser-end boundary condition that just prevents a liquid slug or puddle in the vapor spaces and an evaporator-end boundary condition that just prevents circumferential groove dry-up. Experimental performance measurements for an ammonia heat pipe are presented.