Experimental investigation of thermal characteristics of a cylindrical heat pipe under varied system parameters and operating conditions

Abstract A heat pipe transfers heat effectively between two solid surfaces by incorporating the principles of the transition of phase and thermal conductivity. The study aims to investigate the thermal characteristics of a cylindrical heat pipe and the various factors affecting its performance. The effect of different working fluids, i.e., water, ethanol, and methanol, wick material, i.e., copper and stainless steel, and angle of inclination varied from varied between 0° and 90°. The fill volume is also varied from 20 to 40% to analyze the thermal resistance and effective thermal conductivity of the heat pipe. The optimum value of angle of inclination is found to be 60° at 30% fill volume of working fluid irrespective of the wick material.