A Model for the Heat Transfer Limit of a Screen Wick Heat Pipe

The effects of inclined angle, number of layers and the evaporator length on heat transfer limit were determined by using a planar heat pipe. The working fluid was distilled water and the wick was a 200 mesh screen. An analysis was performed to predict the heat transfer limit of the heat pipe, assuming a linear relationship between the receding of the liquid-vapor interface and the capillary pressure. The prediction based on such a simple model shows good agreement with the experimental results.