Aluminum heat pipes are effective at transferring heat with minimal energy loss, and are commonly used in heating and cooling equipment. They are typically hollow tubes filled with a conductive agent and regulated by an external wick structure. Heat sinks are often used in conjunction with aluminum heat pipes to dissipate heat and provide cooling. Copper heat pipes are also popular, but aluminum is likely to remain a common choice.
Aluminum heat pipes are a heat transfer medium that can allow large amounts of heat to be easily transported with only a small loss of energy in the process. This is also true when pipes are co-located with elements that tend to be very cold. Aluminum heat pipe was often used in radiators and other equipment for heating a living space, and today it is often employed in temperature control for electronic devices.
Most aluminum heat pipe designs are a simple hollow tube. Typically, the heat pipe is filled with some type of conductive agent, such as mercury, ethanol or water. Once the agent is in place, the pipe is sealed and can be included in many different types of heating and cooling equipment. An external wick structure on the side of the tube acts as an agent to exert a capillary force on the contents of the tube. This helps regulate the temperature of the contents of the tube and thus create the desired effect on the surrounding temperature.
Often, aluminum heat pipes are used in conjunction with a heat sink. In essence, a heat sink is a device that can absorb heat from a thermal object that is in close proximity. The source of the thermal agent can be radiant heat or direct heat. The idea behind the heat sink is to provide a means of controlling the heat generated within the aluminum heat pipes by dissipating the heat when needed. This type of arrangement is often used as a means of cooling the environment around electronic devices, including refrigeration units. Therefore, a heat sink can work with aluminum heat pipes to actually provide a source of cooling for a given application without the need for additional refrigerants.
Heat pipes are also made of other types of metal. Copper heat pipes are very popular and may be better suited for some applications. However, the use of aluminum heat pipes is common and is likely to remain so for many years to come.
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