A Study on the Reduction the Thermal Contact Resistances at the Interface Between a Porous Metal Wick and Solid Heating Plate for a Circular Plate LHP

원판형 LHP 증발부의 소결 금속 윅에서의 접촉 저항에 관한 연구

LHP is different from a conventional heat pipes in design and heat and fluid flow passages. The situations of the former is much complex than the latter. In LHPs, evaporation occurs at the contact interface between the heating plate and the porous wick, so some micro channels machined at the contact interface serve to let the vapor flow out of the evaporator. This complexity of contact geometry was known to cause a high resistance to heat flow. The present work was to study the problem of heat passage across the contact surface for LHPs and determine those values contact resistance. For two cases of contact structures, the thermal contact resistances were examined experimentally, one being obtained through mechanical contact under pressure and the other through sintered bonding. Nickel powder wick and copper plate were used for specimens. The result showed that a substantial reduction of contact resistance of an order of degree could be obtainable by sintered bonding.