摘要 |
A device (1) and apparatus (20) for cooling an enclosure, the device serving to increase the total available surface area for heat transfer associated with a given unit area of the enclosure, above that provided by the unit area alone, by virtue of the heat transfer device comprising at least one heat pipe structure (2) which has a first portion (12) which extends to an exterior (11) of the enclosure (9) and a second portion (13) which extends into an interior (10) of the enclosure (9). The heat pipe structure (2) contains a liquid (7) and vapour (8) thereof in equilibrium, together whith a liquid transfer means (5) for distributing said liquid over an inside surface of the second portion (13) of the heat pipe structure (2) so that, in use, heat is tranferred from the interior (10) to the exterior (11) of the enclosure (9) as a result of heat from the interior (10) causing said liquid (7) to evaporate from said inside surface and the so evaporated liquid condensing at a cooler part of the first portion (12) of the heat pipe structure (2), the condensed liquid (7) being returned to the second portion (13) to be distributed by said liquid transfer means (5), whereby heat transfer into said enclosure (9) from the exterior is substantially prevented as a result of liquid distribution by said liquid transfer means (5) occurring only in said second portion (13). |