Market Overview

Heat pipes are heat dissipating components that utilize heat latency caused by evaporation and condensation of the working fluid, and are heat-conducting devices capable of transferring a large amount of heat with a small temperature difference by using pure water or CFC gas refrigerant as the working fluid enclosed in the tube made mainly of copper.

Ever since their development in the U.S. in 1963, heat pipes have been extensively used, such as in temperature control systems for artificial satellites, electric equipment, household electric appliances, electronic devices, etc. In addition, progress of IoT technologies, expansion of availability of 5G (Fifth-Generation Mobile communications system), and vigorous environmental measures in recent years have expanded the demands for heat pipes to be used as a heat dissipation component or a cooling part of each products. The estimated heat pipe market size for FY2020 rose to 31,283 million yen, 105.8% of the size of the previous year, based on the shipment value at manufacturers.

When observing by application, electric equipment or household appliances such as refrigerators (both for business and for household) and air conditioners occupy more than 50 percent, followed by electronic devices including personal computers, smartphones ,tablets, etc., Other applications include railroad vehicles, space appliances, renewable energy facilities, etc.

Noteworthy Topics

Development of Heat Transport Technologies Utilizing Renewable Energy Expected as Environmental Business

As a new application of heat pipes, there is a renewable-energy-employed snow-melting system for heavy snow districts. When comparing to the most inexpensive snow-melting method, that is to sprinkle ground water, the heat pipe method that concentrates the heat of earth thermal, a renewable energy, on the snows on the paved areas requires very high initial cost to install it, which makes people reluctant to deploy. In recent years, however, the heat-pipe method has attracted great attention as they became subsidized by Ministry of the Environment.

When considering its ability to make use of the natural energy semi-permanently with just the initial cost and without relying on electricity, the system can be said as quite environmental friendly. If the awareness increases, the system is highly likely to expand the demand, because there are many public facilities, companies, and general houses that need to deploy it.

Future Outlook

Recently, the performance of heat sources themselves is improving, causing some products no need to cool, or causing some high-performance cooling components to replace heat pipes. Some applications see concerns about the value of existence in heat pipes.

On the other hand, it is also true that heat is always the issue to solve at every application. Especially, increasing use of semiconductors, that are the heat sources, seems to be unavoidable, as IoT technologies and digital transformation progress. The best way to address the thermal problems in these fields should be the currently-used heat pipes which are likely to increase the range of applications and expand the market, accordingly. For example, there can be more opportunities for cooling semiconductors and power devices, because there are speculations of increase in electric vehicles, indicating that the volume of semiconductors used per vehicle would increase, and because use of electronic devices, etc. expands in situations involving water treatment, all of which are projected to boost the heat pipe market.

The domestic heat pipe market is anticipated to generate 36,503 million yen by FY2030, 116.7% of the size of FY2020.

Research Outline