RESEARCH PROGRESS AND PROSPECT OF HEAT PIPE CAPILLARY WICKS

Heat pipe is a kind of high-efficiency heat transfer element which depends on the phase change of its internal working liquid. It has the characteristics of high heat conductivity and excellent average temperature performance. As the core component of heat pipe, capillary wicks play the role of transmitting working fluid and have a crucial impact on the heat transfer performance of heat pipe. In this paper, the research progress of capillary wicks in recent years is introduced from the aspects of structure, fabrication method, performance research, numerical analysis and so on. The current research results of capillary wicks are summarized, and the future research direction of capillary wicks is proposed. The preparation and performance of new capillary wicks, the improvement of its practical effect in heat pipe and the more accurate numerical simulation of capillary wicks are the important research directions in the future.