The possibility of cooling enhancement of flat plate heat pipes (FPHPs) by tilting was examined experimentally in this study. All of the FPHPs were made of Al and were partially filled with acetone. They had the same size of 120 mm (length) by 36 mm (width) by 2.5 mm (thickness) and the same liquid filling ratio of 25.1%. The effects of six tilting angles of -30°, -15°, -10°, 0°, 45°, and 90° were explored. The results showed that the thermal resistance decreased and the effective thermal conductivity increased when the tilting angle was increased. By increasing the tilting angle from 0° to 45° and further to 90°, the maximum effective thermal conductivity increased by a factor of 1.205 from 4561 W/mK to 5497 W/mK and of 1.212 to 5530 W/mK, respectively. The corresponding maximum heat transport capability increased by a factor of 2.89 from 39.8 W to 115 W and of 3.27 to 130 W. Hence, by proper tilting into positve angles, cooling enhancement of the FPHPs can be greatly achieved.
