The History and Origins of Modern Heat Pipe Technology

A heat pipe heat exchanger is a simple device which is utilized to move heat from one place to another, utilizing an evaporation-condensation cycle. Heat pipes are referred to as the "superconductors" of heat due to their quick transfer capability with very little heat loss. The whole process only utilizes 3 major components which are the container, the working fluid inside the pipe and the thermosyphon effect, also called the capillary structure. But before studying the specific details of how the heat pipe works, it is best to know the history of heat pipe technology to obtain a solid "feel" of its system and exactly how it differs from other comparable devices.

The history of the heat pipe can be traced back to Angier March Perkins who in 1839 got a patent on the hermetic boiler tube. He toyed with the idea of a working fluid, however in only one phase and at a high pressure. His descendant, Jacob Perkins, also took a patent on the Perkins Tube (1936) where a long, twisted tube filled with water was passed over an evaporator then a condenser. In this case the water inside operated in two phases. These early designs also relied on gravity so the water would travel back to the evaporator, but nevertheless they were an ample jump-start for present heat pipe technology.

The principle of the modern-day heat pipe was first put forth by R. S. Gaugler of General Motors Inc. in 1944. He patented a light-weight, heat transfer instrument which was allegedly applied to a refrigeration system. He added the concept of using a wick to make the inner fluid return back to the evaporator, instead of gravity. But throughout that period there was no great need for such a thing, so the innovation made no impact for about twenty years. It resurfaced only in 1962 when G. M. Grover and his co-workers from the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory created prototypes on the design and coined the name "heat pipe".

By this time the idea of such a thing was established as beneficial in different fields, so heat pipe technology became popular. Industries and laboratories started using heat pipes for different things. Though at first water was made use of as the working fluid, other substances (i.e. mercury, ethanol, and nitrogen) were ultimately utilized to replace it, depending on the operating vapor temperature range. During 1969, NASA, space agencies and some other aircraft businesses showed interest in using heat pipes to control spacecraft temperature.


----------------------------------------------------
AMSEnergy is a leader in Heat Pipe Heat Exchangers and Heat Pipe Technology Applications for Factories and Industries. To learn more visit http://www.amsenergy.com


EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=280921