Feasibility of an Insulting Heat Pipe for High Voltage Applications

Analysis and measurements on dielectric heat pipes are reported. The materials of construction are copper, alumina ceramic, Freon-ll and Freon-113 as working fluids and SF6 as dielectric cover gas. The application of high voltage up to 260 kV rms had no observable effect on the heat transfer. The heat pipe transfers heat about 9 times more effectively than the equivalent geometry in solid silver. Applications are indicated primarily for air insulated high power equipment.