Loop heat pipe and method of manufacturing loop heat pipe

• US 10,712,098 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Company Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Company Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Kurashima, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkisson, Jianying C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Class-Quinones, Jose O
• Application Number:
  US16/023,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20190017749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 16510421, 16510429, 16510433
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0241 the tubes being flexible
• 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 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/043 forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4882 Assembly of heatsink parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3736 Metallic materials H01L23/3732, H01L23/3733, H01L23/3735, H01L23/3737, H01L23/3738 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445

Abstract

A loop heat pipe includes a first loop heat pipe including a first evaporator, a first condenser, a first liquid pipe, and a first vapor pipe forming a first loop together with the first liquid pipe, a second loop heat pipe including a second evaporator, a second condenser, a second liquid pipe, and a second vapor pipe forming a second loop together with the second liquid pipe, and a connecting part to connect the first condenser and the second evaporator. The first loop and the second loop are separate and independent from each other. The first loop heat pipe, the second loop heat pipe, and the connecting part are integrally formed by a metal.

Claims

1. A loop heat pipe comprising:

a first loop heat pipe including

a first evaporator configured to vaporize a first working fluid into vapor,

a first condenser configured to liquefy the vapor of the first working fluid,

a first liquid pipe configured to connect the first evaporator and the first condenser, and

a first vapor pipe configured to connect the first evaporator and the first condenser, and to form a first loop together with the first liquid pipe;

a second loop heat pipe including

a second evaporator configured to vaporize a second working fluid into vapor,

a second condenser configured to liquefy the vapor of the second working fluid,

a second liquid pipe configured to connect the second evaporator and the second condenser, and

a second vapor pipe configured to connect the second evaporator and the second condenser, and to form a second loop together with the second liquid pipe; and

a connecting part, configured to connect the first condenser and the second evaporator, and including a plurality of slits,

wherein the first loop and the second loop are separate and independent from each other, and

wherein the first loop heat pipe, the second loop heat pipe, and the connecting part are integrally formed by a metal.

2. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second working fluid is a liquid with a saturated vapor pressure that is lower than that of the first working fluid.

3. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a same fluid is used as the first working fluid and the second working fluid, and

a pressure reducing value within the second loop is smaller than that within the first loop.

4. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first loop heat pipe and the second loop heat pipe are bent relative to each other at the connecting part, so that the first evaporator and the second condenser are not positioned on a single plane.

5. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a thermal insulating member covering surfaces of the connecting part.

6. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thermal insulating member covers an entire surface of the first loop heat pipe and the second loop heat pipe, excluding the first and second evaporators and the first and second condensers.

7. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the plurality of slits are discretely provided in the connecting part, excluding a center part of the connecting part, and

the center part of the connecting part makes contact with the second evaporator.

8. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first loop heat pipe, the second loop heat pipe, and the connecting part are formed by stacking a plurality of metal layers, and

the plurality of metal layers are all made of a same metal material.

9. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the connecting part includes a non-hollow section having no hollow or cavity part, and

the first loop heat pipe and the second loop heat pipe are bent relative to each other at the non-hollow section of the connecting part.

10. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the first loop heat pipe, bent at the non-hollow section of the connecting part, extends in a first direction, and

the second loop heat pipe, bent at the non-hollow section of the connecting part, extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

11. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first direction and the second direction form an angle of 90 degrees.

12. The loop heat pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the first loop heat pipe, bent at the non-hollow section of the connecting part, extends in a first direction, and

the second loop heat pipe, bent at the non-hollow section of the connecting part, extends in a second direction parallel to the first direction.