Heat pipes have shown great potential as a technology for solving thermal management issues. They offer highly effective solutions for thermal regulation across a wide range of energy applications. One of the key novelties of this study lies in the comparative analysis of micro-grooved versus ungrooved heat pipes using a 3D transient model, which has not been extensively explored in previous research. The investigation is carried out using a 3D transient model and implementing Volume of Fluid and Lee thermal phase change models. The model’s predictions align well with existing experimental data, confirming its accuracy. In this work, the effects of different evaporator temperatures and heat transfer coefficients of condenser section on heat transfer are considered. The heat transfer rate, volume fractions, temperature and velocity distribution are predicted using a 3D model for both grooved and ungrooved heat pipes. The results reveal that the grooved heat pipe significantly outperforms the ungrooved counterpart, with the heat transfer rate nearly doubling. Besides, according to the results, the addition of grooves has increased the thermal capacity of the heat pipe dramatically.
