Heat Pipe Basics and Demonstration on How a Heat Pipe Works

Heat Pipes are one of the most efficient ways to move heat, or thermal energy, from one point to another. These two-phase systems are typically used to cool areas or materials, even in outer space. Heat pipes were first developed for use by Los Alamos National Laboratory to supply heat to and remove waste heat from energy conversion systems.

Today, heat pipes are used in a variety of cooling applications from space to medical devices and power electronics cooling to aircraft and more! If you’re unsure if heat pipes are an ideal thermal solution for your project, contact us to discuss your application and our engineers can determine the best path forward.

ACT designs and manufactures custom heat pipes and heat pipe assemblies for a wide range of markets. Heat pipes are not only for terrestrial use but they are used in spacecraft thermal control as well. ACT manufactures different types of heat pipes for both applications with spaceflight heritage for the CCHP (constant conductance heat pipes) product line for spacecraft thermal control uses as well as SCWHP (space copper water heat pipes). ACT currently has over 90 million hours of spaceflight heritage for the CCHP line.

Learn more about heat pipes:

Heat Pipe Resources:

[Aranimda]

Great video. I finally know how the heat from my PC processor is being transferred to the heatsink.

[jujuhds]

wow that's a nice update of the old video, thanks !

[Flopsaurus]

THAT IS SUPER COOL

The color-changing paint demonstration almost looks fake, the heat pipe changed so fast.

[ANJA-mjto]

Copper rod vs heat pipe - interesting!
Nice to see how designed heat pipes in early 1970. especially these with a passive system designed to freez a tank of water that can make large amounts of ice with no utility to accomodate the entire cooling load to constructions especially compared with copper rod because of the tank made of reinforced concrete and insulated of polystystren. How heat is passivly carried from the water to atmosphere we see nowdays.
Shematic approach is so clearly explained as well as structure that provides effective workout!

[d.lawrencemiller]

"A heat pipe is compromised" I think you mean *comprised.*

[SvenK-CAD]

Great video and perfect graphics' One point with "heat-pipe" over other types is the ease in "cleaning" the pipes at regular maintenance intervals as the "heat wheel" is more complex and if it get's "torn" or "ripped" the heat-wheel and Energy Recover is completely gone' and not to mention the cost of replacing a heat-wheel. Those heat-pipe will last a long time. And thanx for sharing.

[gregorymccue]

I don't see any mention of the need for heat pipes to be "tuned" to the conditions under which they will operate, like the need to adjust internal pressure to match the expected temperature difference where the heat pipe will be used ( one size does NOT fit all ).

[InnaciKorushka]

Are all heat pipes made like this? I had a mild epiphany seizure when I saw this. It's neat af and great visual demonstrations.

[Kimera_Alternate_Realities]

That was an amazing visual explanation, thank you.

[rrrandommman]

Great visualization and explanation, when will CPU cooler manufacturers start adding thermal paint like that as an option? I think that'd be very fun.

[ecsyntric]

0:14 why is the heat pipe compromised?

[Khulu]

Hi, I have a question. What do you think about heat pipes in PC air cooling system that they design to let the condenser to be below the evaporator? I think it would affect its heat dissipation efficiency, but how much would you think it is? I think could be less than -5%... Or more and less? But such question can only be answered by experts as I don't have any reliable sources to reach such information myself, so your help is very much appreciated. Thank you! 😘

[rjovidesign]

I recommend revisiting the statement about “extremely low temperature difference…”

[CPatwal]

Thank You - I had some ideas around using this product but these are not easily available in India

[StuartHollingsead]

I am wondering what happens when sub zero air is passed over a noctua cooler.
Will the wick structure freeze with liquid at the distal end?
How cold is to cold for a heat pipe to work?

[aicram]

What do you use them for? or How do you use them?

[imogen]

Narrator read "comprised" as "compromised"

[dougaltolan]

Talk to me about graded sintered diamond heat transfer windows, and ionic acceleration of the vapour phase.

[rayosakwe]

What kind of induction heater is that and how can I get one, thanks a lot for the video

[wolfgagger]

Heat pipes is "compromised" shouldn't it be "comprised" ?