Numerical Simulation of Grooved Heat Pipe Deformation by Extrusion Process

Heat pipe is a heat transfer device, applied to effectively transfer heat between two solid interfaces. The heat pipes are usually formed via extruding material, typically have an integral flange to increase the heat transfer area, and decrease the temperature. On the other hand, extrusion is one of the most important processes among the conventional metal forming operations, widely used to produce the components. During this process, the cross-sectional area of billet is reduced by forcing it to flow through a die with a certain shape. Prediction of maximum force, required for forming of the material has always been one of the main challenges of industrial engineers. In this paper first, employing finite element method and ABAQUS software, three dimensional simulation of a conventional forward extrusion process is carried out. Then, the numerical results are achieved and compared with the experimental tests. Comparison of the maximum force results reveal that the obtained error magnitude is about 2%, which confirms the simulation results and show good adaptation. Finally, a grooved heat pipe is simulated and the needed force of the process is attained. The numerical simulation results can be certainly utilized by the industrial engineers in die design procedure and better control of material behavior during the deformation process.