How annular heat pipes protect sensors from extreme heat

What is it about?

In high-temperature environments—such as inside jet engines or industrial furnaces—sensitive instruments, such as infrared sensors, can easily overheat and fail. To protect them, engineers often use a special cooling device called an annular sleeve heat pipe (ASHP), which quietly moves heat away without needing pumps or power, relying instead on the natural evaporation and condensation of a liquid inside it. However, predicting exactly how hot the sensor will get under different conditions has been difficult because the ASHP's heat-transfer behavior varies with temperature, power, and design. In this study, we developed a fast and accurate computer model that captures these complex changes by using a "thermal resistance" concept—similar to how electrical resistance controls current flow, but for heat. Our model was tested against experimental data and can reliably predict the ASHP's internal temperature under various operating conditions. It helps engineers design better thermal protection systems so sensors stay cool and keep working—even in extreme heat. The approach is beneficial for applications like aerospace, nuclear monitoring, and high-temperature manufacturing, where reliability and simplicity matter most.

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Photo by Hermeus on Unsplash

Photo by Hermeus on Unsplash