Condenser design optimization and operation characteristics of a novel miniature loop heat pipe

Loop heat pipe (LHP) is a promising means for electronics cooling since LHP is a exceptionally efficient heat transfer device. In this paper, a novel miniature LHP (mLHP) system is presented and optimal design of condenser is considered seeing that evaporators have been able to handle very high-heat fluxes with low-heat transfer resistances since most of the previous researchers focused on the evaporator of mLHP. The arrayed pins were designed and machined out on the bottom of condenser to enhance condensation heat transfer. The parameters of the arrayed pins, including layout, cross-section shape and area, were optimized by finite element analysis. Tests were carried out on the mLHP with a CPU thermal simulator using forced air convection condenser cooling to validate the optimization. The operation characteristics of the mLHP with optimal design parameters of condenser were investigated experimentally. The experimental results show that the mLHP can reject head load 200 W while maintaining the cooled object temperatures below 100 °C, and for a variable power applied to the evaporator, the system presents reliable startups and continuous operation.

► A novel miniature LHP (mLHP) system was presented.
► Optimal design of condenser was considered.
► The heat transfer performance was investigated experimentally.