Copper Heat Pipes for Low-Cost Cooling

ATS has expanded its line of flat and round copper heat pipes for electronics thermal management. More than 350 standard ATS heat pipes provide low-cost cooling solutions for cloud and edge computing, electric vehicles, aerospace, agtech, robotics, medical and consumer electronics, data communications, telecommunications, HVAC and more. They provide stand-alone cooling and can be combined with heat spreading devices to deliver high levels of passive or active cooling.

The heat pipes transfer component heat with a minimal temperature difference to dispense heat efficiently across heat spreaders. The liquid in the heat pipe turns to vapor by absorbing heat and removing thermal energy from hot component surfaces. The vapor travels to the cold end of the pipe, releases latent heat and condenses back to liquid. The liquid returns to the hot interface along an internal copper wick to provide continuous thermal management.

Every heat pipe consists of a sealed copper tube, internal copper wick structure, and distilled water as its working fluid. Round profile heat pipes come in lengths from 200 to 300 mm and diameters from 4.0 to 8.0 mm. Flat profile heat pipes range in length from 100 to 250 mm, widths from 8.2 to 10.5 mm, and heights from 2.5 to 4.5 mm. Weights range from 8 to 33 g. They are effective in temperatures ranging from 30 to 120°C. Other fluids and sizes can be accommodated with custom heat pipe designs by ATS.

The cold end of the copper heat pipe attaches easily to most heat sinks, providing effective cooling when a heat sink can’t be applied directly on a heat source. The finished heat pipes can be shaped by hand or machine and can be friction fit, clamped, soldered, or adhesively attached.

The heat pipes are available from ATS distributors, including Digi-Key, Mouser, Master Electronics, Online Components, Arrow Electronics, Richardson RFPD, and New Yorker Electronics.