This study aimed to assess the feasibility of utilizing surfaces coated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) to enhance the thermal capacity of micro heat pipes (MHPs) through numerical modeling. The developed model considered surface wettability, condensation rate, working fluid interaction, and heat transport within the MHP. Validation of the model against experimental references from the literature showed an average error of 5%. Using this validated model, conditions were extrapolated for two key parameters: (1) contact angles (CA) of 0 \(^{\circ }\) (superhydrophilicity) and 159 \(^{\circ }\) (superhydrophobicity), and (2) a condensation rate of 4.26 mL of water in 2 h, both characteristics obtained in previous experimental studies with VACNTs. This allowed for the evaluation of the benefits of employing VACNTs, resulting in a thermal resistance at least tenfold lower, with the ideal condensation rate lying between 334.50 and 836.25 \(\mu\) W cm \(^{-2}\) . The analysis also investigated the influence of different parameters on multiphysical systems, revealing that their interaction leads to a combined effect where the resulting magnitude exceeds the sum of the individual influences of each parameter. Through this study, a better understanding of heat pipes with wettability gradient system behavior was achieved, enabling separate studies of wettability and condensation rate parameters and facilitating more in-depth analyses. The use of VACNTs emerged as a promising option for enhancing heat pipes, offering potentially more efficient and significant results compared to conventional surface treatment methods.
