Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review
Conventional heat pipes (CHPs) with capillary wicks are fundamental in various engineering applications due to their exceptional heat transfer efficiency and minimal temperature gradients. Despite the recent advancements in heat pipe modeling, existing reviews predominantly emphasize loop or pulsati...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Roberta Caruana Manfredo Guilizzoni |
| author_facet | Roberta Caruana Manfredo Guilizzoni |
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| description | Conventional heat pipes (CHPs) with capillary wicks are fundamental in various engineering applications due to their exceptional heat transfer efficiency and minimal temperature gradients. Despite the recent advancements in heat pipe modeling, existing reviews predominantly emphasize loop or pulsating heat pipes, neglecting the extensive application and design challenges associated with CHPs. This review aims to address this lack by providing a comprehensive analysis of existing modeling techniques for CHPs, with a specific focus on their methodological innovations, validation strategies, and limitations, in order to outline a structured classification of models and provide useful suggestions for future research. The main findings of this work reveal a predominance of numerical lumped parameter models, which balance simplicity and computational efficiency, but often oversimplify complex phenomena. In fact, although numerical 2D and 3D models could offer greater accuracy at higher computational costs, they often share similar limitations with lumped parameter models. Additionally, some crucial aspects, including gravitational effects, real gas behavior in vapor modeling, activation effects, and operating limits, remain underexplored. Therefore, future research should address these gaps, to enhance the applicability of CHPs across different fields and operating conditions. In particular, an integrated approach is recommended, combining physics-based models with data-driven techniques, and supported by a robust and systematic experimental validation strategy, to ensure the reliability and generality of the developed models. Such modeling efforts are expected to guide the development of more effective and reliable heat pipe designs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fb3146a4e4842ccafde0855f78e51b8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fb3146a4e4842ccafde0855f78e51b82025-08-20T02:30:46ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-04-01189221310.3390/en18092213Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A ReviewRoberta Caruana0Manfredo Guilizzoni1Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, ItalyConventional heat pipes (CHPs) with capillary wicks are fundamental in various engineering applications due to their exceptional heat transfer efficiency and minimal temperature gradients. Despite the recent advancements in heat pipe modeling, existing reviews predominantly emphasize loop or pulsating heat pipes, neglecting the extensive application and design challenges associated with CHPs. This review aims to address this lack by providing a comprehensive analysis of existing modeling techniques for CHPs, with a specific focus on their methodological innovations, validation strategies, and limitations, in order to outline a structured classification of models and provide useful suggestions for future research. The main findings of this work reveal a predominance of numerical lumped parameter models, which balance simplicity and computational efficiency, but often oversimplify complex phenomena. In fact, although numerical 2D and 3D models could offer greater accuracy at higher computational costs, they often share similar limitations with lumped parameter models. Additionally, some crucial aspects, including gravitational effects, real gas behavior in vapor modeling, activation effects, and operating limits, remain underexplored. Therefore, future research should address these gaps, to enhance the applicability of CHPs across different fields and operating conditions. In particular, an integrated approach is recommended, combining physics-based models with data-driven techniques, and supported by a robust and systematic experimental validation strategy, to ensure the reliability and generality of the developed models. Such modeling efforts are expected to guide the development of more effective and reliable heat pipe designs.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2213heat pipeheat transfercapillary wickanalytical modelinglumped parameter modelingnumerical simulation |
| spellingShingle | Roberta Caruana Manfredo Guilizzoni Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review Energies heat pipe heat transfer capillary wick analytical modeling lumped parameter modeling numerical simulation |
| title | Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review |
| title_full | Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review |
| title_short | Modeling of Conventional Heat Pipes with Capillary Wicks: A Review |
| title_sort | modeling of conventional heat pipes with capillary wicks a review |
| topic | heat pipe heat transfer capillary wick analytical modeling lumped parameter modeling numerical simulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2213 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertacaruana modelingofconventionalheatpipeswithcapillarywicksareview AT manfredoguilizzoni modelingofconventionalheatpipeswithcapillarywicksareview |