Visualization and Heat Transfer Performance of Mini-Grooved Flat Heat Pipe Filled with Different Working Fluids

Mini-grooved flat heat pipe (MGFHP) possesses the advantages of high compactness, no mechanical component, super thermal conductivity, and excellent temperature uniformity, which can meet the demand for electronic devices efficiently cooling. In this research, visual and heat transfer experiments were performed to investigate the flow and thermal characteristics inside the MGFHP. Fluid flow and distribution are observed to be quite different in the MGFHP containing different working fluids, which is affected by the physical properties of working fluid, the surface state of the grooved wick, and limited working space. Additionally, the input heat, working fluid type, filling ratio, and wettability obviously affect the thermal conductivity and temperature uniformity of the MGFHP. The deionized water-filled MGFHP possesses lower thermal resistance and higher heat transfer capacity than anhydrous ethanol or hexane filled MGFHP, especially for the copper oxide MGFHP filled with deionized water with a filling ratio of 1.0. Thermal resistance, maximum temperature, and temperature nonuniformity at the condensation section of deionized water-filled copper oxide MGFHP are lower than those of the original copper MGFHP by 31.1%, 3.7 °C, and 0.11 °C for the anhydrous ethanol filled MGFHP and 34.4%, 3.1 °C, and 0.13 °C for the hexane filled MGFHP, respectively.