Abstract
This study mainly focuses on the influence of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanostructure generated on condenser section inner surface on the heat transfer performance of gravity heat pipes. AAO nanotubes were first grown by anodizing the inner wall surface of the condenser section of aluminum alloy gravity heat pipes through different anodizing voltages and treatment times. The nanostructure effect on the temperature distribution and overall thermal resistance was then investigated by using a thermal performance test system under different input heat powers. The experimental results showed that the generation of AAO nanostructure on the inner surface significantly enhances heat transfer performance; that is, the temperature difference between the evaporator and condenser sections and overall thermal resistance are reduced. Such an effect can be more significant in the case of a lower heat source. The percentage decreases in temperature difference and overall thermal resistance can be reduced by up to 58.83% and 58.79%, respectively, compared to the unprocessed heat pipe.