What is a heatpipe?

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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=black]Heatpipes are pipes (usually made from copper) which can quickly transfer large quantities of heat from one point to another. They are normally used as a pathway for heat to travel from the core to a large dissipation surface area such as fins in a heatsink.[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=black]The pipes are hollowed out and either filled with a fine powder (once again, usually copper) or a liquid with a high heat con[/COLOR][COLOR=black]ductivity.
Heatpipes and the general idea were first thought of by R.S.Gaugler in 1942. However its remarkable properties were not appreciated until 1962 when G.M.Grober invented it, and the serious development began.

Heatpipes are sealed to isolate the working fluid from the outside environment.

One application that commonly sees the use of heatpipes is in a laptop. This is due to heatpipe construction being: –

• Cost effective
• Lightweight (generally less than 40 grams)
• Small
• Compact profile design
• Passive operation

Due to there being no moving parts, no maintenance is required and there is nothing to break-down through normal use. If the heat pipe is designed properly, the fluid should be contained within the capillary wick structure with less than 1 atmosphere (pressure), this means there is little to no chance of the fluid leaking onto the electronics.[/COLOR][/COLOR][/FONT]