Devices, methods, and systems for thermal management

• US 10,527,355 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hurbi, Erin Elizabeth, Nikkhoo, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zerphey, Christopher R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malik, Raheena R
• Application Number:
  US15/622,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20180356156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 16510426
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/02 the heat-exchange media both being gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/04 the heat-exchange media both being liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/08 with change of state, e.g. absorption, evaporation, condensation generating steam under pressure F22
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/12 the heat-exchange medium being a particulate material and a gas, vapour, or liquid
• 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 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/04 with tubes having a capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2015/0216 having particular orientation, e.g. slanted, or being orientation-independent
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/182 especially adapted for evaporator or condenser surfaces F28F13/187 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 23/02 Arrangements for obtaining or maintaining same in a liquid state
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20336 Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps

Abstract

A heat transfer device, and methods and systems using such devices, including a major surface wall forming a bottom side of the device; a first hermetic chamber of a first design and with the surface wall forming a bottom wall of the first vapor chamber; a second hermetic chamber of a second design, positioned adjacent to the first chamber along a length of the first surface wall, and with the surface wall forming a bottom wall of the second vapor chamber. The first chamber includes a first heat transfer medium and a first wick arranged to transport the first heat transfer medium to an evaporator region of the first chamber. The second chamber includes a second heat transfer medium and a second wick arranged to transport the second heat transfer medium to an evaporator region of the second chamber.

Claims

1. A heat transfer device comprising:

a substantially continuous first surface wall forming a bottom side of the heat transfer device;

a hermetic first chamber of a first design, wherein the first surface wall provides a bottom wall of the first chamber;

a hermetic second chamber of a second design different from the first design, positioned adjacent to the first chamber along a length of the first surface wall, wherein the first surface wall provides a bottom wall of the second chamber;

a first side wall portion of the first chamber, wherein the first side wall portion is directly attached to the first surface wall;

a second side wall portion of the second chamber, wherein the second side wall portion is directly attached to the first surface wall and adjacent to the first side wall portion of the first chamber; and

a thermally insulating chamber disposed between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, the thermally insulating chamber being hermetically sealed with a full or partial vacuum maintained within the thermally insulating chamber

a first heat transfer medium disposed in the first chamber;

a first wick disposed in the first chamber and arranged to transport a liquid phase of the first heat transfer medium by capillary forces to an evaporator region of the first chamber;

a second heat transfer medium disposed in the second chamber; and

a second wick disposed in the second chamber and arranged to transport a liquid phase of the second heat transfer medium by capillary forces to an evaporator region of the second chamber.

2. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein a total internal volume of the first chamber is greater than a total internal volume of the second chamber.

3. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein

the first wick includes a wick portion disposed on a continuous second wall of the heat transfer device;

the second wick includes a wick portion disposed on the second wall;

the wick portion of the first wick and the wick portion of the second wick have different average wick thicknesses, different average pore sizes, or comprise different wick materials.

4. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein a total mass of the first heat transfer medium disposed in the first chamber is greater than a total mass of the second heat transfer medium disposed in the second chamber.

5. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein when the heat transfer device is operating in a thermal steady-state in which a first heat load is being supplied to the evaporator region of the first chamber and a second heat load, equal to the first heat load, is being supplied to the evaporator region of the second chamber, a vapor temperature of the first heat transfer medium around the evaporator region of the first chamber is 5°

C. to 20°

C. greater than a vapor temperature of the second heat transfer medium around the evaporator region of the second chamber.

6. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein when the first chamber is operating in a thermal steady-state at a first steady-state vapor temperature, a heat transfer rate via the first heat transfer medium is greater than a heat transfer rate via the second transfer medium when the second chamber is operating in a thermal steady-state at the first vapor temperature.

7. The heat transfer device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first heat rejection structure thermally coupled to the first chamber via a first amount of surface area of an exterior surface of the first chamber and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the first heat transfer medium; and

a second heat rejection structure thermally coupled to the second chamber via a second amount of surface area of an exterior surface of the second chamber and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the second heat transfer medium,

wherein the first amount of surface area is 30% to 100% greater than the second amount of surface area.

8. An electronic assembly comprising:

the heat transfer device of claim 1;

a first electronic component that generates heat during operation of the electronic assembly, is thermally coupled to the first chamber of the heat transfer device, and is arranged to vaporize the first heat transfer medium included in the heat transfer device at the evaporator region of the first chamber during operation of the electronic assembly; and

a second electronic component that generates heat during operation of the electronic assembly, is thermally coupled to the second chamber of the heat transfer device, and is arranged to vaporize the second heat transfer medium included in the heat transfer device at the evaporator region of the second chamber during operation of the electronic assembly.

9. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein a total internal volume of the first chamber is 20% to 100% greater than a total internal volume of the second chamber.

10. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein the electronic assembly is arranged such that, when a temperature of the first electronic component has increased to a first steady-state temperature and a temperature of the second electronic component has increased to a second steady-state temperature while the electronic assembly is operating in a power on state, a vapor temperature of the first heat transfer medium around the evaporator region of the first chamber is 5°

C. to 20°

C. greater than a vapor temperature of the second heat transfer medium around the evaporator region of the second chamber.

11. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein the electronic assembly is arranged such that, when the electronic assembly is at a nominal powered on thermal steady-state, a first steady-state temperature of the first electronic component is 5°

C. to 20°

C. greater than a second steady-state temperature of the second electronic component.

12. The electronic assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a first heat rejection device thermally coupled to the first chamber via a first amount of surface area of an exterior surface of the first chamber and arranged to receive more than 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the first heat transfer medium during operation of the electronic assembly; and

a second heat rejection device thermally coupled to the second chamber via a second amount of surface area of an exterior surface of the second chamber and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the second heat transfer medium during operation of the electronic assembly,

wherein the first amount of surface area is 30% to 100% greater than the second amount of surface area.

13. The electronic assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a first heat rejection device thermally coupled to the first chamber, including a user-exposed surface, and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the first heat transfer medium during operation of the electronic assembly; and

a second heat rejection device thermally coupled to the second chamber and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the second heat transfer medium during operation of the electronic assembly,

wherein the electronic assembly is arranged such that, when the electronic assembly is at a nominal powered on thermal steady-state, the user-exposed surface of the first heat rejection device is at or below 40°

C., and a temperature of the second heat rejection structure is at or above 50°

C.

14. The electronic assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a passive heat rejection structure thermally coupled to the first chamber; and

an active heat rejection structure thermally coupled to the second chamber.

15. The electronic assembly of claim 8, further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to the first chamber and the second chamber via the first surface wall of the heat transfer device, arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the first heat transfer medium, and arranged to receive at least 50% of latent heat released by condensation of the second heat transfer medium.

16. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein the electronic assembly comprises a head-mounted display device including the first chamber, the second chamber, the first surface wall of the heat transfer device, the first electronic component, and the second electronic component.

17. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein:

the first electronic component is a first die portion of a die; and

the second electronic component is a second die portion of the die.

18. The electronic assembly of claim 8, wherein:

the first electronic component is a first die included in a multi-die chip carrier; and

the second electronic component is a second die included in the multi-die chip carrier.

19. A method of cooling components in an electronic device, the method comprising:

including a heat transfer device according to claim 1;

thermally coupling a first electronic component that generates heat during operation of the electronic assembly to the first chamber of the heat transfer device;

vaporizing a portion of the first heat transfer medium included in the heat transfer device by transferring heat from the first electronic component to the evaporator region of the first chamber;

thermally coupling a second electronic component that generates heat during operation of the electronic assembly to the second chamber of the heat transfer device;

vaporizing a portion of the second heat transfer medium by transferring heat included in the heat transfer device from the second electronic component to the evaporator region of the second chamber.