Heat pipes

Heat pipes are fluid-filled tubes that can transfer large amounts of heat in a small area. Heat transfer in a heat pipe takes place via latent heat, i.e. the evaporation and recondensation of a fluid. This type of heat transfer is highly effective: Compared to a solid body of the same dimensions, a heat pipe transfers a greater amount of heat by a factor of 100 to 1,000. Heat pipes thus conduct heat more effectively than any other known material.

New solutions for cooling with heatpipes

We offer comprehensive heat pipe-related services for industrial and research applications. Our focus is on specific and new applications and heat pipe designs that are not yet established in the mass market.

System development and consulting
In system development, we focus on the specific application and the thermal and geometric parameters. We advise you and work with you to develop the right heat pipe-based solution for your needs.

Laboratories
Our labs offer a wide range of possibilities for prototype production: We can weld and solder heat pipes, create wick structures, produce heat pipes (including additively using 3D printing), and fill heat pipes with various working fluids.

Measurement setups
We use special measurement setups and IR thermography to characterize the heat transfer capability of tubular and flat heat pipes. To investigate the internal structure of heat pipes, we use a state-of-the-art 3D computer tomograph.

We can support you in the production, testing and integration of heat pipes, from 3D-printed test samples to series production.

Research and development focus on Pulsating Heat Pipes (PHP)

One focus of our work is pulsating heat pipes (PHP). PHPs are heat pipes with a special design, which can be constructed as a bent tube or a flat plate.

Unlike standard heat pipes, in which the fluid typically flows back through a wick structure, PHPs consist of many thin, meandering channels containing alternating liquid and vapor segments, resulting in alternating segments of liquid and vapor. Temperature and pressure differences between the hot and cold sides cause these segments to move in a continuous pulsating motion. This allows fluid and heat to be transported highly efficiently from the heat source to the cold side.

Effective heat dissipation in a small space

Pulsating heat pipes are very flat and dissipate heat very effectively even in confined spaces. When designed appropriately, pulsating heat pipes are orientation-independent. They also operate without moving parts or a power supply. PHP are characterized by high stability and can be manufactured from lightweight materials. They are typically used for temperature control in power electronics or in the aerospace industry.

In collaboration with Fraunhofer IWU, we were able to demonstrate that PHPs can be manufactured using additive manufacturing processes (3D printing). This allows for a high degree of design freedom in PHPs for specific applications.