System and method for thermal management using vapor chamber

• US 10,356,945 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rush, Brian, Sears, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary
• Application Number:
  US15/228,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 361700, 361719, 165 804- 805, 16510433, 257714-714
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/36 of energy beam parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/366 Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1103 with particular physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/004 comprising at least one non-porous part
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/18 sintered
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20336 Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20672 within sub-racks for removing heat from electronic boards
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a thermal management system for electronics includes a vapor chamber that at least partially envelops the electronics, a working fluid contained within the vapor chamber and used to dissipate heat from a part of a heated portion of the electronics and a precision sintered 3D wick structure independently created on some of the interior of the vapor chamber. The precision sintered 3D wick structure transports the working fluid by capillary action from at least one working fluid receptacle to a part of the heated portion of the electronics. In one embodiment of the invention, the 3D vapor chamber may be formed by the additive manufacturing processes. A further example includes precision sintered 3D support structures integrated into the closed 3D vapor chamber. The support structures mainly facilitate to support the 3D closed vapor chamber envelope from collapsing during operation, and add overall structural strength and additionally facilitate transfer of liquids and gas through their internal 3D porous zones.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for electronics, comprising:

at least one vapor chamber that at least partially envelops the electronics, wherein the at least one vapor chamber comprises a vapor chamber case with a component side and an opposing vapor side;

a working fluid contained within the vapor chamber, introduced into the vapor chamber case and used to dissipate heat from at least a part of a heated portion of the electronics; and

a precision sintered 3D wick structure independently created on at least some of the interior of the vapor chamber, deployed within the internal space of the vapor chamber and disposed on at least the component side of the vapor chamber case, wherein the precision sintered 3D wick structure transports the working fluid by capillary action from at least one working fluid receptacle to the at least a part of the heated portion of the electronics,

wherein the precision sintered 3D wick structure comprises a plurality of layers of metal build powder particles,

wherein a first collection of metal build powder particles from each of a first group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is sintered to create a 3D porous zone, and

further wherein a second collection of metal build powder particles from each of a second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is melted to create a 3D nonporous zone.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first collection of metal build powder particles from each of the first group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is sintered by applying a first predetermined laser spot input power corresponding to a first combination of laser parameters, the first predetermined laser spot input power being between about 60 watts and about 80 watts,

wherein the second collection of metal build powder particles from each of the second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is melted by applying a second predetermined laser spot input power corresponding a second combination of laser parameters, and

wherein the second predetermined laser spot input power is greater than the first predetermined laser spot input power.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the first combination of laser parameters and the second combination of laser parameters comprises at least one of:

laser spot size, laser velocity, hatch spacing, build layer thickness, build powder particle size, and build powder distribution.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the metal build powder particles comprise metal build powder particles with diameter between 10 microns and 250 microns, and

wherein the the second predetermined laser spot input power is about 110 watts.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the vapor chamber envelops the electronics in one of:

reverse-conformal, and custom-conformal surface geometry.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more precision sintered 3D internal support structures within the vapor chamber, wherein the precision sintered 3D internal support structure supports the vapor chamber structurally from within.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber is formed by additive manufacturing process.

8. A closed 3D vapor chamber formed by additive manufacturing, comprising:

a vapor chamber case with a component side and an opposing vapor side;

a working fluid contained within the closed 3D vapor chamber, introduced into the vapor chamber case and used to dissipate heat from at least a part of a heated portion of a plurality of electronics positioned at least partially within the vapor chamber; and

a precision sintered 3D wick structure independently created on at least some of the interior of the closed 3D vapor chamber, deployed within the internal space of the vapor chamber and disposed on at least the component side of the vapor chamber case, wherein the precision sintered 3D wick structure transports the working fluid by capillary action from the at least one working fluid receptacle to the at least a part of the heated portion of the electronics,

wherein the precision sintered 3D wick structure comprises a plurality of layers of metal build powder particles,

wherein a first collection of metal build powder particles from each of a first group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is sintered to create a 3D porous zone, and

further wherein a second collection of metal build powder particles from each of a second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is melted to create a 3D nonporous zone.

9. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 8, wherein the first collection of metal build powder particles from each of the first group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is sintered by applying a first predetermined laser spot input power corresponding to a first combination of laser parameters, and

further wherein the second collection of metal build powder particles from each of the second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles is melted by applying a second predetermined laser spot input power corresponding a second combination of laser parameters.

10. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 9, wherein each of the first combination of laser parameters and the second combination of laser parameters comprises at least one of:

input power value, laser spot size, laser velocity, hatch spacing, build layer thickness, build powder particle size, and build powder distribution.

11. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 10, wherein the metal build powder particles comprise metal build powder particles with diameter between 10 microns and 250 microns.

12. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 11, wherein at least part of at least one of:

the case of the vapor chamber and the 3D wick structures is compliant, and

wherein the vapor chamber envelops the electronics in one of;

conformal, reverse-conformal, and custom-conformal surface geometry.

13. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 8, wherein the 3D wick structures are non-uniform, and

wherein the plurality of electronics are positioned entirely within the vapor chamber.

14. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 8, further comprising one or more precision sintered 3D support structures within the closed 3D vapor chamber, wherein the precision sintered 3D support structure supports the vapor chamber structurally from within.

15. The closed 3D vapor chamber according to claim 8, wherein the precision sintered 3D wick structure comprises at least one of titanium material and Ti64 build powder.

16. A method of thermal management for electronics, comprising:

enveloping the electronics at least partially in at least one 3D vapor chamber formed by additive manufacturing, wherein the at least one vapor chamber comprises a vapor chamber case with a component side and an opposing vapor side;

independently creating a precision sintered 3D wick structure on at least some of the interior of the vapor chamber,

deploying the precision sintered 3D wick structure within the internal space of the vapor chamber,

disposing the precision sintered 3D wick structure on at least the component side of the vapor chamber case;

introducing a working fluid into the vapor chamber case;

transporting the working fluid through the precision sintered 3D wick structure by capillary action; and

dissipating heat from at least a part of a heated portion of the electronics to at least one working fluid receptacle,

wherein the independently creating a precision sintered 3D wick structure on at least some of the interior of the vapor chamber comprises;

sintering a first collection of metal build powder particles from each of a first group of layers from a plurality of layers of metal build powder particles to create a 3D porous zone, and

melting a second collection of metal build powder particles from each of a second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles to create a 3D nonporous zone.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sintering a first collection of metal build powder particles from each of a first group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles comprises sintering by applying a first predetermined laser spot input power corresponding to a first combination of laser parameters;

the melting a second collection of metal build powder particles from each of a second group of layers from the plurality of layers of metal build powder particles comprises melting by applying a second predetermined laser spot input power corresponding to a second combination of laser parameters, and

wherein the second predetermined laser spot input power is greater than the first predetermined laser spot input power.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein each of the first combination of laser parameters and the second combination of laser parameters comprises at least one of:

input power value, laser spot size, laser velocity, hatch spacing, build layer thickness, build powder particle size, and build powder distribution.