Heat Pipe Constructions More Specifically Designed for Controlling Purposes

Abstract

In many heat pipe applications it is advantageous to be able to control the thermal conductance of the heat pipe. For example, electronic equipment may generate more heat during certain phases of operation and, therefore, require the removal of more heat to maintain a fixed temperature. Alternately, it may be desirable to operate particular equipment at a variety of temperatures. It is possible to accommodate both of these situations by removing heat from the equipment through a controllably variable conductance heat pipe.