Miniature heat pipes are considered to be an innovative solution able to dissipate high heat with low working fluid fill charge, provide automatic temperature control, and operate with minimum energy consumption and low noise levels. A theoretical analysis on heat pipe thermal performance using Deionized water or n-pentane as the working fluid has been carried out. Analysis on the maximum heat and capillary limitation is conducted for three microgroove cross sections: rectangular, triangular, and trapezoidal. The effect of microgroove height and width, effective length, trapezoidal microgroove inclination angle, and microgroove shape on heat pipe performance is analysed. Theoretical and experimental investigations of the heat pipes' heat transport limitations and thermal resistances are conducted.
Keywords: electronic cooling; energy efficiency; heat pipe; heat transport limitation; sizing procedure.