We’ve talked here about heat pipes and the fact they are super conductors. But are there any limitations to their ability to do heat transfer? It turns out there are nine limitations. They are:
- Capillary Limit
- Sonic Limit
- Boiling Limit
- Entrainment Limit
- Vapor Pressure Limit
- Frozen Startup Limit
- Condenser Heat Transfer Limit
- Vapor Continuum Limit
- Flooding Limit
The team over at Thermal Fluids Central goes into depth about each limitation. It makes sense to understand these as it allows engineers to properly specify the right heat pipe solution for a given application.
Here’s a small quote on this topic from the team at Thermal Fluids Central:
There are various parameters that put limitations and constraints on the steady and transient operations of heat pipes [1][2]. In other words, the rate of heat transport through a heat pipe is subject to a number of operating limits. Physical phenomena that might limit heat transport in heat pipes are due to capillary, sonic, entrainment, boiling, frozen startup, continuum vapor, vapor pressure and condenser effects. The heat transfer limitation can be any of the above limitations depending on the size and shape of the pipe, working fluid, wick structure, and operating temperature. The lowest limit among the eight constraints defines the maximum heat transport limitation of a heat pipe at a given temperature.
To read about each limitation, jump to their article here on Thermal Fluids Central, “Heat Transfer Limitations of Heat Pipes”
