Dual axial channel heat pipe

Claim 1

In a heat pipe, the improvement comprising: a generally straight elongated thermally conductive envelope hermetically sealed with end walls and having a relatively low-temperature condensing section and a relatively high-temperature evaporation section between which thermal energy is transferred, said envelope having a longitudinal vapor channel and at least one longitudinal liquid channel extending the length thereof, said channels being separate one from the other and having a side-by-side relationship with their longitudinal axes being substantially parallel, capillary means extending the length of said envelope at least in the evaporation and condensing sections thereof providing fluid communication between said channels, the inside surface of the side walls of at least said vapor channel in at least said condensing and evaporation sections being provided with wall capillary means, said capillary means being a longitudinal capillary slot which creates a high capillary pressure difference such that liquid in said longitudinal liquid channel is pumped thereby; a vaporizable working fluid in said envelope, said fluid having a liquid phase and a vapor phase at the operating temperature of the device, said fluid evaporating in said high temperature evaporation section and condensing in said low temperature condensing section such that heat is transferred between said evaporation section and said condensing section by phase change of said fluid, said liquid phase substantially filling said liquid channel at said operating temperature and flowing from said condensing section to said evaporation section and said vapor phase flowing along said vapor channel from said evaporation section to said condensing section whereby the axial transport and radial heat transfer requirements of said heat pipe are handled independently such that a high heat transport capacity is obtainable without a degradation in heat transfer efficiency.