Thermal management system and method for thin membrane type antennas

• US 20050275589A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• 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: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermal management system for electronic components includes a plurality of spacers disposed between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate to form a plurality of heat transfer regions each having a plurality of capillary pumping regions, a two-phase fluid disposed between at least one pair of adjacent spacers, and a plurality of electronic components coupled to a mounting surface of the first flexible substrate.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for electronic components, comprising:

a plurality of spacers disposed between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate to form a plurality of heat transfer regions each having a plurality of capillary pumping regions;

a two-phase fluid disposed between at least one pair of adjacent spacers; and

a plurality of electronic components coupled to a mounting surface of the first flexible substrate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the spacers are positioned directly under respective electronic components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the spacers are circular tubes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the spacers are solid wires.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible substrates comprises a metallized polymer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first and second flexible substrates is no more than 0.1 inch.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the capillary pumping regions each comprise an acute angle of no more than 60 degrees.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a valve coupled to at least one of the first and second flexible substrates.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-phase fluid is at a pressure of no more than two psia.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-phase fluid is at least 10% vapor by mass.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wicking material disposed between at least one pair of adjacent spacers.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic components comprise a space-based antenna.

13. A thermal management method for electronic components, comprising:

disposing a plurality of spacers between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate to form a plurality of heat transfer regions each having a plurality of capillary pumping regions;

disposing a two-phase fluid between at least one pair of adjacent spacers; and

coupling a plurality of electronic components to a mounting surface of the first flexible substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising positioning the spacers directly under respective electronic components.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the spacers are selected from the group consisting of circular tubes and solid wires.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible substrates comprises a metallized polymer.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible substrates comprises a metallized polymer.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising separating the first and second flexible substrates by a distance of no more than 0.1 inch.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing each of the capillary pumping regions to have an acute angle of no more than 60 degrees.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling a valve to at least one of the first and second flexible substrates.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing the two-phase fluid to have a pressure of no more than two psia.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing the two-phase fluid to have at least 10% vapor by mass.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising disposing a wicking material between at least one pair of adjacent spacers.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic components comprise a space-based antenna.

25. A thermal management system for electronic components, comprising:

a plurality of spacers disposed between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate;

metal plating disposed between the first flexible substrate and the second flexible substrate to form a plurality of heat transfer regions each having a plurality of capillary pumping regions;

a two-phase fluid disposed within some of the heat transfer regions;

an RF conductor coupled to the metal plating and associated with at least one of the heat transfer regions;

a plurality of electronic components coupled to a mounting surface of the first flexible substrate; and

the spacers positioned directly under respective electronic components.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the spacers are selected from the group consisting of circular tubes and solid wires.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible substrates comprises a metallized polymer.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein a distance between the first and second flexible substrates is no more than 0.1 inch.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the capillary pumping regions each comprise an acute angle of no more than 60 degrees.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the two-phase fluid is at a pressure of no more than two psia.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the two-phase fluid is at least 10% vapor by mass.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the electronic components comprise a space-based antenna.