Thermal - Heat Pipes, Vapor Chambers

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
121690_REV1 Wakefield-Vette	HEATPIPE SINTERED 10MMX200MM	54
126439 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126140 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
124652 Wakefield-Vette	ROUND HEATPIPE 5X150MM 35W	196
124674 Wakefield-Vette	ROUND HEATPIPE 12X250MM 115W	0
126477 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126781 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126670 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126696 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126242 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	49
126307 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126672 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
110583_REV1 Wakefield-Vette	HEATPIPE SINTERED 8X0.3X200MM	67
126508 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126605 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126317 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126784 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126692 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126752 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50
126446 Wakefield-Vette	FLATTENED, COPPER HEATPIPE, SINT	50

Thermal - Heat Pipes, Vapor Chambers

1. Overview

Heat pipes and vapor chambers are passive two-phase heat transfer devices that utilize phase change cycles (evaporation-condensation) to efficiently redistribute thermal energy. These technologies play critical roles in modern electronics, aerospace, and energy systems by maintaining optimal operating temperatures for high-performance components.

2. Major Types & Functional Classification

Type	Functional Features	Application Examples
Sintered Wick Heat Pipe	High thermal conductivity (5-10x copper), anti-gravity operation	CPU/GPU cooling in servers
Gravity-Assisted Heat Pipe	Lower cost, requires vertical orientation	Air-cooled heat sinks for consumer electronics
Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP)	Temperature-controlled operation via non-condensable gas	Aerospace thermal regulation systems
Copper-Water Vapor Chamber	Ultra-thin design ( 3mm), planar heat spreading	Smartphone SoC cooling
Stainless Steel-Amonia VC	High reliability for extreme environments	Satellite thermal control

3. Structure & Composition

Heat pipes typically consist of: 1) Inner wick structure (sintered powder, grooved, or mesh), 2) Working fluid (water, ammonia, or methanol), 3) Sealed container (copper, aluminum). Vapor chambers have similar components but feature: 1) Flat sealed enclosure with internal support pillars, 2) Multi-directional vapor flow channels, 3) Advanced micro-structured wick layers.

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Importance	Typical Values
Effective Thermal Conductivity	Determines heat transport capacity	10,000-50,000 W/m K
Operating Temperature Range	Defines environmental compatibility	-50 C to 300 C
Maximum Heat Transport Capacity	Design limit for thermal load	50-500 W
Pressure Resistance	Structural integrity under stress	1-5 MPa
Response Time	Speed of thermal equilibrium	10-100 ms

5. Application Fields

Consumer electronics: Smartphone processors, gaming consoles
Data centers: Server rack cooling systems
Renewable energy: Solar inverters, energy storage systems
Automotive: EV battery pack thermal management
Industrial: High-power laser modules, semiconductor manufacturing equipment

6. Leading Manufacturers & Products

Manufacturer	Representative Product	Key Features
Cooler Master	Hyper Heat Pipe Series	Nano-fiber wick structure, 120W capacity
Thermacore	TS Heat Pipe	Space-qualified VCHP design
Aavid (TE Connectivity)	Vapor Chamber 3.0	0.8mm thickness for mobile devices
Calsonic Kansei	AeroChamber VC	For automotive LiDAR systems

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations include: 1) Thermal load requirements, 2) Available space constraints, 3) Operating environment conditions (temperature/vibration), 4) Interface compatibility (Cp vs. Al), 5) Cost-performance trade-offs. For high-reliability applications, materials selection and accelerated life testing become critical factors.

8. Industry Trends

The market is evolving towards micro-scale integration (e.g., 0.4mm diameter heat pipes), advanced nanofluid working media, and hybrid systems combining heat pipes with liquid cooling. Emerging applications in 5G infrastructure and autonomous vehicle systems are driving demand for ultra-thin vapor chambers with 3D printing-formed wick structures. Market growth is projected at 12.8% CAGR through 2030, with significant R&D investments in space thermal control and data center liquid-assisted solutions.