The fluid is a mixture of deionized water, alcohol, methanol and acetone. The "powder" inside is actually sintered copper. Sintering is when you take powdered metal and heat it to just before liquefaction causing it to become a porous mass. This breaks the surface tension of the liquid to aid in cooling. Some heat pipes have a mesh instead of or in addition to sintered metal. Sintering and/or mesh helps to overcome the need for having the heat pipe in a particular orientation due to the effects of gravity. As the liquid heats up, it vaporizes and is drawn towards the cooler end of the pipe. When it gets there, it begins to condense as it releases stored heat. When that happens, it moves back toward the warm end as higher temperature vapor moves in. This results in a continual flow of heat from hot side to cool side (and a flow of cooled liquid from cooled side to hot side). This process is more efficient than heat sinks alone, and requires less surface area to allow for smaller laptops.
The question is: would solid copper bar outperform this design or not? Should evaporative cooling be so much better, we would expect thin walls and a lot of sintered material. This is not what we see.
@@Luzt. I dont think so. The heat capacity of copper is like 4 times less than that of water. A thinner wall would probably work better, but the liquid is under a low pressure (more than atmosphere, which increases the vaporization temperature) and thinner walls wouldn't be able to support the pressure. I definitely think a better design can be made. Maybe even actual two pipe mechanism within the copper. This would create a better flow of water.
This is very qualitative analysis you made here, Sir. You started with your premise (heat pipe, transfer of heat by transfer of mass + heat of evaporation/condensation) and with the evident lack of said fluid you continued to claim, this is basically heat pipe. I would not argue there's no fluid in the system but I'd like you to at least quantitatively estimate percentagewise heat transfer by conduction and change of state. You stated "I do not like to be said I'm wrong" and you are definitely right on this point.
You're right Kris. The tube is, (or was), probably evacuated too so as to lower the boiling point of the fluid....which could possibly just be water. Cool stuff! Thanks for the surgical explanation.
I gave u a 👍 because I can relate to what you said about being right or wrong . the same way I am, when I'm wrong I just say prove me I'm wrong and if I'm right I can prove you I'm right 👍.
Really interesting video, Kris! I sort knew in theory how these things work, but actually seeing a heat-pipe cut open was very interesting. I hadn't realised that it looked quite like that on the inside. It's not something one thinks about every day. Or perhaps that's just me. :-) And obviously, I've already won once, so pick someone else. ;-)
You win. Nice work. Lol. It’s amazing to me how technology progresses yet some things stay rather archaic. I think with vital components shrinking and needing fewer moving components, the circuitry and moving parts can afford to be more hearty, modular, standardized, and accessible.
In plain English, I don’t get how CPUs and SSDs can be so tiny and powerful yet they still get cooled by a car sized radiator (ancient technology that always fails) to cool, and have cables the thickness of strands of hair. Power cables as thin and delicate as silk.
Of course you are right, I read up on the workings of heat pipes a couple of months ago. Interesting for sure, I think the priniciple was already used by James Watt on steam engines. I also think in the temperature span cpu coolers operate in, simple water is the most efficient fluid. There are many graphs on the internet.
Yep - you're right :). I did read about one of the samsung phones (S7?) that had a heat pipe and "liquid cooling" but in a tear down there was no liquid - I wonder if it was just so little liquid they missed it??
so basically its like a radiator in a car with the cpu and gpu being the engine almost that heat up the fluid which could be like the antifreeze and then goes to the fan to be re cooled like the radiator fan in a car
You are right, Kris. I guess, because I actually didn't know exactly how a heatpipe works. But just from what I have seen in the video, I would have come to the exact same conclusion. You could have tried setting the pipe on fire right after you cut it to "analyze" the liquid. Did it have any smell while you cut it? There could have been a few different ones. If it was ammonia I guess you would have noticed ;) . Several alcohols and solvents have their boiling point in needed range (the boiling point can also be ajdusted with the pressure in the pipe). But it could also have been plain water.
coool I've always Wondered what's inside those pipes ... A few months ago I have cleaned my laptop fan and I wanted cut it aswell . I don't know you are right but cool video anyway...
Aww man! You cut juuust to short to see why theese things need replacing! Basically some of the working fluid decomposes and frees up oxygen that is then oxidizing the copper. This happens in the hot end. The hotter it gets the faster it happens. As little as 1000-3000 hours of operation at high temp can really degrade performance and once it gets going it will accelerate since the production of heat is usually the same. You can see discoloration on the edge closes to the hot end of the assembly just where the cut stops.
If you are absolutely certain that you are right about something then stick to your guns and do not bend even if you have to Stand Alone, I will be with you^!!^
