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Thermal Management System Optimization for Electronics Using Loop Heat Pipe, Guided by Hybrid Heat-Sink Benchmarks, to Enhance Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
Morsi, Kareem
Morsi, Kareem
Date
2025-10
Author
Advisor
Type
Thesis
Degree
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35.232-2025.40a Kareem Morsi.pdf
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Description
A Master of Science thesis in Mechanical Engineering by Kareem Morsi entitled, “Thermal Management System Optimization for Electronics Using Loop Heat Pipe, Guided by Hybrid Heat-Sink Benchmarks, to Enhance Energy Efficiency and Sustainability”, submitted in October 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mohammad O. Hamdan and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Bassam Abu Nabah. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
Reliable thermal management remains a critical challenge in compact, moderate-to-high-flux electronic systems, where conventional cooling methods often fail to ensure efficiency and orientation independence. This thesis experimentally investigates two classes of thermal management solutions: (i) Part A: hybrid heat sinks that integrate multiple passive techniques, including fins, phase change materials (PCMs), metal foams, and heat pipes, and (ii) Part B: a flat-evaporator loop heat pipe (LHP).In Part A, eight hybrid sink configurations were tested under heat fluxes of 1000–2000 W/m². PCM-based designs provided effective thermal buffering but suffered from low conductivity. Incorporating metal foam improved melt uniformity, and heat pipes enabled rapid heat spreading. The highest performance was achieved with the combined PCM–foam–heat pipe arrangement, although operating temperatures remained higher than those achieved with the LHP. In Part B, a custom flat-evaporator LHP was fabricated and evaluated up to 23 kW/m² while varying filling ratio, wick pore size, wick material, and orientation. At the lowest flux tested (1000 W/m²), the evaporator stabilized near the expected saturation temperature of water at reduced pressures (~32-36 °C). With increasing heat flux, evaporator temperatures rose significantly, with the evaporator-to-condenser temperature difference of approximately 4 °C at low fluxes and about 25 °C at higher loads. Optimal performance was observed at 55–60% filling ratios and ~5 μm pore size. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wicks excelled at low fluxes due to high porosity and wettability, whereas stainless steel wicks performed better at high heat fluxes due to their superior thermal conductivity. Gravity-assisted orientations reduced evaporator-to-condenser temperature difference, whereas adverse orientations-imposed performance penalties but maintained system stability. The findings confirm that, while hybrid heat sinks offer incremental benefits, the LHP provides a superior and scalable solution for high-flux electronics and aerospace applications.