Air Cooler Mod

[shadow6491]

I read a lot about the different contruction of heat pipes and them being filled with a small amout of liquid that is supposed to evaporate and transfer the heat from one end of the pipe to the other.

But has anyone thought about or already done? Cut one end of the heat pipe and fill it up with thermal compound to transfer the heat?

You may need to cut both ends to be able to get the air out and force the compoand through the pipe. it could be easily seald up again.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Air Cooler Mod

I don't think that would transfer heat as well, or as fast.

[Russel]

Re: Air Cooler Mod

[...]Cut one end of the heat pipe and fill it up with thermal compound to transfer the heat?[...]

That would greatly reduce the thermal conductivity of the heat pipe.

The way that a heat pipe works is much like a refrigerator. The heat pipe has a lining inside of it that allows the liquid inside it to wick to the hot end of the pipe. At the hot end of the pipe the liquid evaporates (phase change) and in changing from a liquid to a gas absorbs a lot of heat. The gas travels through the heat pipe center and condenses at the cool end, releasing enough heat to change back into a liquid and soaks back into the lining then wicks back to the hot end.

The evaporation and condensation of the liquid is the key. It enables the liquid to transfer lots of heat, the same way that a refrigerator or freezer does.

I remember the first time I booted a computer with heat pipes on the GPU. With the cover off, I had one finger on the heat pipe and was totally amazed that it got hot instantly as the computer booted. Thermal compound couldn't even come close to that.