Thermal Performance of Heat Pipe Drill: Experimental Study

An experimental study is performed in this paper to verify the concept of thermal management of using a heat pipe in the drilling process. The basic idea is to insert a heat pipe at the center of the drill tool with the evaporator located close to the drill tip, and condenser located at the end of the drill. In this way, heat accumulated in the drill tip can be transported to the remote section of the drill and remove it there to the tool holder, which attaches the drill. Temperatures at the drill tip as well as tool wear can be reduced significantly. In this paper, experimental investigations on a heat pipe drill for various heat flux inputs, inclination angles and rotating speeds are presented. The effect of contact resistance and tool holder (acting as heat sink) on heat pipe performance will also be demonstrated. The results presented in this paper may be used for important design and practical implementation considerations.