Systems and methods for using additive manufacturing for thermal management

• US 10,660,236 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rush, Brian Magann, Gerstler, William Dwight, Lassini, Stefano Angelo Mario, Wetzel, Todd Garrett
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mukundbhai G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feng, Zhengfu J
• Application Number:
  US14/592,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1103 with particular physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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: 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

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a thermal management system for electronic devices, including a heat frame, a conformal slot portion, chassis frame, and heat fins wherein the heat frame, conformal slot, chassis frame, and heat fins are integrally formed as a unitary structure by additive manufacturing. In another example, there is a modular vapor assembly for electronic components having a vapor chamber comprising a component surface and a top surface with a vapor channel formed therebetween with at least one liquid receptacle and having a wick structure on at least some of an interior of the component surface. In operation, there is a circuit card with at least some of the electronic components coupled to the vapor chamber component surface and the wick structures transfer at least some of the liquid from the receptacle towards the electronic components, wherein the liquid turns to a vapor that moves towards the receptacle.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for electronics including a circuit card having electronic heat generating components provided on the circuit card, the thermal management system comprising:

an integrally formed vapor chamber configured to contain a working fluid that conducts heat from the electronic heat generating components, the integrally formed vapor chamber comprising a heatframe and at least one receptacle on a side of the heat frame in fluid communication with the heat frame, wherein the heatframe comprises a card mounting portion adjacent the at least one receptacle to retain the circuit card so that the electronic heat generating components are conductively coupled to the heatframe when the circuit card having the electronic heat generating components is retained in the card mounting portion, wherein the heatframe further comprises a wick structure in the card mounting portion that directs the working fluid from the at least one receptacle towards the electronic heat generating components,

wherein the integrally formed vapor chamber comprises integrally formed internal support posts that extend between opposing sides of the integrally formed vapor chamber, wherein the integrally formed internal support posts comprise wick structures, and wherein pores of the wick structures of the integrally formed internal support posts that are adjacent the opposing sides of the integrally formed vapor chamber are larger than pores that are in the middle of the opposing sides, and the larger pores transport the working fluid to the heatframe and the smaller pores transport vapor to the at least one receptacle.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the heatframe is conductively coupled to more than one surface of each of the electronic heat generating components when the circuit card is retained in the card mounting portion.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the wick structure has a non-uniform thickness and a non-uniform porosity and a non-uniform permeability and non-uniform pore sizes.

4. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed internal support posts comprise solid portions and wick structures integrally formed by an additive manufacturing process.

5. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the pores of the wick structures vary in size.

6. The thermal management system of claim 5, wherein pores of the wick structure on a liquid transport side adjacent an exterior of the integrally formed vapor chamber are larger than pores on a vapor transport side adjacent the interior of the integrally formed vapor chamber.

7. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed internal support posts are curved.

8. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed vapor chamber comprises a chassis mounting portion configured to couple the integrally formed vapor chamber to a second integrally formed vapor chamber to form a chassis.

9. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises a plurality of hollow fins.

10. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed vapor chamber comprises a plurality of ridges that permit elastic deformation of the integrally formed vapor chamber.

11. A thermal management system for electronics, comprising:

at least one integrally formed vapor chamber comprising integrally formed parts of at least one heatframe;

at least one of;

a plurality of heat fins and at least one heat exchanger; and

a wick structure that forms a vapor channel on at least some of the interior of the vapor chamber;

a working fluid contained within the vapor chamber; and

an input or output module electrically coupled to the electronics, wherein the vapor chamber further comprises an integrally formed mounting portion comprising a tongue feature on a first side of the integrally formed vapor chamber and groove structure on a second side of the integrally formed vapor chamber that is opposite from the first side of the integrally formed vapor chamber.