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Design Concepts and Performance Characterization of Heat Pipe Wick Structures by LPBF Additive Manufacturing
Konstantin Kappe1, Michael Bihler1, Katharina Morawietz2
1Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics (EMI), Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 4, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 23, 2022
Summary
Additive manufacturing using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) enables novel heat pipe wick designs. Optimized wick structures enhance heat pipe performance and integration into complex systems.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Manufacturing Technology
Background:
- Additive manufacturing (AM) provides design freedom for lightweight, application-tailored structures.
- Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) allows novel heat pipe and internal wick structure designs using metallic materials.
- Enhanced heat pipe performance and integration into load-bearing structures are possible.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and investigate new heat pipe wick concepts using AM.
- To explore the influence of geometrical and process parameters on wick performance.
- To assess the suitability of LPBF for manufacturing complex wick structures.
Main Methods:
- Developed novel wick concepts based on geometrical and process parameters.
- Manufactured wick samples using LPBF with Scalmalloy® aluminum alloy.
- Analyzed microstructure via optical microscopy and performance via porosimetry and rate-of-rise measurements.
Main Results:
- Investigated the impact of process parameters, geometrical design, and printing orientation.
- Determined characteristic wick performance parameters for novel concepts.
- Achieved promising results for various new wick designs.
Conclusions:
- Additive manufacturing, specifically LPBF, is a powerful method for heat pipe wick fabrication.
- Optimized wick designs can significantly increase heat pipe performance and flexibility.
- AM enables the creation of intricate wick structures for advanced heat pipe applications.
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