Analysis of the Impact of Parameters of Gravity Heat Pipe Radiator on the Temperature Control of Gangue Hill and Engineering Test

Deep within coal gangue hills, there is a substantial amount of wasted thermal energy. Prolonged accumulation of these hills leads to significant damage to the atmosphere and soil. Gravity heat pipes, as efficient heat transfer components, can safely, efficiently, and conveniently extract the accumulated heat in gangue hills to achieve effective thermal control. In this study, we first analyzed the optimal height of the heat dissipation fins through a single fin heat dissipation model. Then, we determined the optimum spacing between the heat dissipation fins through analysis with multiple fins. The results showed that when the height of the heat dissipation fins was 80 mm and the spacing between fins was 80 mm, the heat dissipation performance and economic costs were most reasonable. Through an engineering trial conducted for 143 days at the Maotergou coal mine gangue hill, it was found that the average heat dissipation rate of a single gravity heat pipe ranged from 243.52W to 494.32W. The total heat dissipation during the entire experimental process was 54.39 kJ, and the total heat dissipation at the elevation of 890 meters was 1087.71 kJ. This indicates that managing the internal temperature accumulation in coal gangue hills using gravity heat pipes is entirely feasible.