Lämpöputkijärjestelmä

Lämpöputkijärjestelmä is a Finnish term referring to a heat pipe system. A heat pipe is a passive heat transfer device that exploits the principles of evaporation and condensation to transfer heat with very high efficiency. It consists of a sealed tube, usually made of copper, containing a small amount of working fluid. This fluid is carefully selected based on the operating temperature range of the device.

The operation of a heat pipe is based on a thermodynamic cycle. At one end of the pipe, known as the evaporator section, heat is absorbed from the heat source. This causes the working fluid to evaporate, turning into vapor. The vapor then travels rapidly along the hollow interior of the pipe to the cooler end, the condenser section. Here, the vapor releases its latent heat of vaporization to the heat sink and condenses back into a liquid. The liquid then returns to the evaporator section, typically through capillary action facilitated by a wick structure lining the inside of the pipe, completing the cycle.

Heat pipe systems are widely used in various applications due to their excellent heat transfer capabilities and reliability. They are commonly found in electronics cooling, such as in computer processors and high-power devices, where they efficiently remove heat to prevent overheating. Other applications include solar thermal collectors, refrigeration systems, and aerospace technology. The sealed nature of the heat pipe means there are no moving parts, contributing to their long lifespan and low maintenance requirements. The efficiency of a heat pipe is significantly higher than that of solid conductors of the same size.