Applications and limits
 

Hi guys,

Just subsribed to these forums because heat pipes and thermosiphons really intrigue me.

Somewhere I read that though heat pipes can transport lots of thermal energy, they don't raise temperature very much. So my first question is, just how much is "not very much"?

For example, if I wanted to cool my house in summer, I might have to cool some kind of heat sink down to 10-15 degrees Celsius, while the outside air might be up to 50 degrees. Would heat pipes still do the job with these differences?

Or what if I want to extract water (humidity) from the air? Do you think it would make sense to use heat pipes for that, having the cold end at barely above 0C? I know it can be done, so my question is more about efficiency.

As you guys seem to be very practical and into tinkering, I thought you might have the answers. Hopefully! :D