Capillary structure for heat pipes - used for rapid heat transfer between hot and cool zones by cyclic phase transformation

摘要

The novelty is that wicks, with a dia. to watch the capillaries required and a conducting surface, are located on the outside or inside of a pipe, and a metal is deposited on the wicks by electroplating, the wicks are then removed, leaving the capillary structure. The wicks may be made of a metal with a low m.pt. and removed by melting after electro-deposition of the structure. Alternately, the wick may be made of an organic substance coated with Ag to provide a conducting surface. The electrodeposited metal is pref. Cu and the process can be repeated to build up several layers of capillaries. The heat pipe is a vacuum tight, closed system, contg. a substance which undergoes a cyclic phase transformation between the gaseous and liq. states for the rapid transfer of heat between a hot and cool zone via a transport zone, the liq. then returns to the hot zone via capillary forces. Provides a simple and economic method of mfg. heat pipes possessing capillaries with smooth bores.