Heat pipe with a tube therein

Abstract

A heat pipe includes a metal casing ( 100 ) filled with a working fluid therein, a capillary wick ( 200 ) provided inside of the metal casing and a tube ( 300 ) contacting with a surface of the capillary wick. The capillary wick extends in an axial direction of the casing and has a middle portion separated from an inner wall of the metal casing. A vapor passage ( 700 ) is formed between an outer wall of the tube and the inner wall of the casing and a liquid channel ( 800 ) is defined by the capillary wick. The working fluid in vapor state flows along the vapor passage and the working fluid in liquid flows along the liquid channel. The tube separates the vapor from the liquid at a place where the tube is located.

1 . A heat pipe comprising: 
 a casing containing a working fluid therein;    a capillary wick arranged inside of the casing and extending in an axial direction of the casing; and    a tube surrounding the capillary wick and an inner surface of the tube contacting with a surface of the capillary wick in the casing;    wherein a vapor passage is formed between an outer wall of the tube and an inner wall of the casing and a liquid channel is defined by the capillary wick, and wherein the vapor passage is separated from the capillary wick by the tube, the working fluid in vapor and liquid states respectively flowing along the vapor passage and the liquid channel from one end towards an opposing end of the casing in opposite directions.    
   
   
       2 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the capillary wick comprises first capillary wicks provided in opposite ends of the casing and a second capillary wick interconnecting the first capillary wicks and extending in the axial direction of the casing, the tube surrounding the second capillary wick.  
   
   
       3 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the capillary wick further comprises a third capillary wick having a thinner thickness than that of the first and second capillary wicks, the third capillary wick extending from one of the first capillary wicks into the vapor passage and functioning to guide the working fluid in vapor into the vapor passage.  
   
   
       4 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a rib disposed between the outer wall of the tube and the inner wall of the casing.  
   
   
       5 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the casing further comprises a plurality of spaced pipes surrounding the tube and a supplementary capillary wick is filled in each of the pipes and interconnecting the first capillary wicks.  
   
   
       6 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the vapor passage is enclosed by the casing and defined between the tube and the pipes.  
   
   
       7 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tube is made of metal.  
   
   
       8 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tube is made of one of plastics and resin.  
   
   
       9 . A heat pipe comprising: 
 a metal casing having an inner wall therein and defining an evaporating section for receiving heat, a condensing section for releasing the heat and an adiabatic section between the evaporating and condensing sections;    a working fluid received in the metal casing and evaporated into vapor in the evaporating section and condensed into liquid in the condensing section;    a capillary wick extending in an axial direction of the casing from the evaporating section through the adiabatic section to the condensing section and having a middle portion spaced from the inner wall of the metal casing;    a tube contacting with a surface of the middle portion of the capillary wick; and    a vapor passage formed inside of the metal casing and between the metal casing and the middle portion of the capillary wick and a liquid channel defined by the capillary wick;    wherein the vapor at the evaporating section flows towards the condensing section of the casing along the vapor passage and the liquid at the condensing section of the casing returns to the evaporating section along the liquid channel, the tube separating the vapor passage and the liquid at a place wherein the tube is located.    
   
   
       10 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the capillary wick comprises first capillary wicks arranged in the evaporating and condensing sections and a second capillary wick interconnecting the first capillary wicks and extending in the axial direction of the casing, the inner surface the tube contacting with the surface of the second capillary wick.  
   
   
       11 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the vapor passage is formed between an outer wall of the tube and the inner wall of the casing and the liquid channel is defined by the second capillary wick.  
   
   
       12 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the metal casing further comprises a rib arranged between an outer wall of the tube and the inner wall of the casing.  
   
   
       13 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the metal casing further comprises a plurality of spaced pipes surrounding the tube, a supplementary capillary being filled in each of the pipes and interconnecting the capillary wick at the evaporating and condensing sections.  
   
   
       14 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first capillary wick at the evaporating section has a thickness gradually decreased along a direction from the evaporation section toward the adiabatic section, and the first capillary wick at the condensing section has a thickness gradually increased along a direction from the adiabatic section toward the condensing section.  
   
   
       15 . The heat pipe as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising a third capillary wick extending from the first capillary wick at the evaporating section into the vapor passage.