Many road builders are likely familiar with the fact that emulsion asphalt equipment requires continuous circulatory heating during operation to ensure safety. So, how does this work? Emulsion asphalt equipment consists of a sealed housing, a wick attached to the housing, and a working fluid enclosed within the housing after the housing is evacuated.

When a heat source heats one end of a heat pipe, the working fluid boils and evaporates. The pressure differential causes the vapor to flow rapidly toward the cold end of the heat pipe, where it releases latent heat and condenses. The condensed liquid, driven by capillary suction from the wick, returns from the cold end to the hot end. This cycle continues, continuously transferring heat from the hot end to the cold end.
When a heat source heats one end of a heat pipe, the working fluid boils and evaporates. The pressure differential causes the vapor to flow rapidly toward the cold end of the heat pipe, where it releases latent heat and condenses. The condensate is drawn back from the cold end to the hot end by the capillary suction force of the wick. This cycle continues, and heat is continuously transferred from the hot end to the cold end. Therefore, the normal operation of the heat pipe in the emulsified asphalt equipment is a closed cycle consisting of liquid evaporation, steam flow, steam stagnation, and condensate return.