THERMAL AND VISUAL OBSERVATION OF A HYBRID HEAT PIPE

A hybrid heat pipe combining elements of both conventional heat pipes (CHP) and oscillating heat pipes (OHP) has been designed, constructed, and tested. The heat pipe investigated herein consists of interconnected channels similar to a typical OHP and wicks similar to a CHP in order to find the wick effect on the heat transport capability in a hybrid heat pipe. The effects of orientation, operating temperature, and power input were studied. The experimental results show that the heat pipe does form liquid plugs and vapor bubbles as seen in typical OHPs, but oscillates in a slightly different manner compared to a typical OHP with the motion confined to the evaporator region.