Week 1

For the first week of the project, we researched online and using Drexel's online resources like Summon and Engineering Village to brainstorm ideas for the structure of the heat pipe. So far, we are debating the merits of using a simple vertical heat pipe that uses gravity as a means of transporting the condensed vapor back to the heated end of the pipe or a horizontal heat pipe with a grooved interior that utilizes capillary action to transport the liquid that condenses along the heat sink end of the pipe to the end pressed against the heat source. The design of the grooves along the interior of the heat pipe and the materials that will be used are still in debate.

Figure 1: The search results of "heat pipe" on Engineering Village. Figure 2: The basic wick structure in industrial heat pipes.