LOOP-TYPE HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE

• US 20060283577A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tung, Chao-Nien, Yang, Chih-Hao, Hou, Chuen-Shu, Liu, Tay-Jian, Lee, Chih-Peng
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.260
• 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 15/043 forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2015/0216 having particular orientation, e.g. slanted, or being orientation-independent
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• 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

A loop-type heat exchange device (10) is disclosed, which includes an evaporator (20), a condenser (40), a vapor conduit (30) and a liquid conduit (50). The evaporator contains therein a working fluid. The working fluid in the evaporator evaporates into vapor after absorbing heat, and the generated vapor flows, via the vapor conduit, to the condenser where the vapor releases its latent heat of evaporation and is condensed into condensate. The condensate then returns back, via the liquid conduit, to the evaporator to thereby form a heat transfer loop. The condenser defines therein a chamber, and a plurality of heat-exchange pins is provided inside the chamber for effectively exchanging heat with the vapor entering into the condenser.

Claims

1. A heat exchange device comprising:

an evaporator containing therein a working fluid, the working fluid being capable of turning into vapor in the evaporator upon receiving heat;

a condenser defining therein a chamber;

a vapor conduit and a liquid conduit each being connected between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor is capable of being transferred via the vapor conduit to the condenser and turning into condensate in the condenser upon releasing the heat carried by the vapor, and the condensate is capable of being transferred via the liquid conduit to the evaporator; and

means provided inside the chamber of the condenser for exchanging heat with the vapor transferred to the condenser.

2. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein said means includes a plurality of metal fins extending into the chamber of the condenser.

3. The heat exchange device of claim 2, wherein the metal fins includes a plurality of pin-fins.

4. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein said means includes a plurality of heat-pipes extending into the chamber of the condenser.

5. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of cooling fins extends from an outer surface of the condenser.

6. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein a first wick structure is arranged inside the liquid conduit.

7. The heat exchange device of claim 6, wherein a second wick structure is arranged inside the condenser and is connected with first wick structure arranged inside the liquid conduit.

8. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein a distal end portion of the vapor conduit extends into the chamber of the condenser and the distal end portion of the vapor conduit defines therein a vapor dispenser.

9. The heat exchange device of claim 8, wherein the distal end portion of the vapor conduit extends into the chamber substantially from a middle of the condenser, and the vapor dispenser includes a plurality of openings distributed over a circumferential periphery of said distal end portion.

10. The heat exchange device of claim 8, wherein the distal end portion of the vapor conduit extends into the chamber from one side of the condenser, and the vapor dispenser includes a plurality of openings distributed over a portion of a circumferential periphery of said distal end portion and facing an opposite side of the condenser.

11. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the condenser and the vapor conduit have an angle formed therebetween.

12. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the evaporator defines therein a chamber, the chamber of the evaporator is divided into two regions and a third wick structure is arranged inside the evaporator, the third wick structure spanning across the two regions.

13. The heat exchange device of claim 12, wherein one region of the chamber of the evaporator is fully filled with the third wick structure and functions as a micro-channel region for receiving the condensate coming from the condenser, and the other region is partially filled with the third wick structure and functions as an evaporating region for evaporation of the working fluid inside the evaporator.

14. The heat exchange device of claim 13, wherein the evaporator has a plurality of metal fins extending from an outer surface thereof corresponding to the micro-channel region of the chamber of the evaporator.

15. The heat exchange device of claim 13, wherein the evaporator includes a top cover and a bottom cover combined together to define the chamber of the evaporator, and the bottom cover has a section being thicker than the remaining part of the bottom cover, said section corresponding to the evaporating region of the chamber of the evaporator.

16. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the vapor conduit has a larger diameter than the liquid conduit.

17. The heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the vapor conduit diverges into multiple branches connecting with the evaporator.

18. A heat exchange device comprising:

an evaporator containing therein a working fluid, the working fluid being capable of turning into vapor in the evaporator upon receiving heat;

a condenser defining therein a chamber and having a plurality of heat-exchange pins extending into the chamber;

a vapor conduit and a liquid conduit each being connected between the evaporator and the condenser; and

first and second wick structures arranged inside the liquid conduit and the condenser, respectively;

wherein

the vapor is capable of being transferred via the vapor conduit to the condenser and turning into condensate in the condenser upon releasing the heat, and the condensate is capable of being transferred via the liquid conduit to the evaporator under capillary forces developed by the first and second wick structures.

19. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein said heat-exchange pins are heat pipes.

20. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein said heat-exchange pins are metal fins.

21. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein a vapor distributor is formed at an end of the vapor conduit extending in the condenser.

22. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein the condenser is located at a position, which is higher than that of the evaporator.

23. The heat exchange device of claim 22, wherein the condenser is oriented inclinedly relative to the liquid conduit.

24. The heat exchange device of claim 22, wherein the condenser is oriented perpendicularly relative to the liquid conduit.

25. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein the second wick structure is arranged on a side of the condenser to which the vapor and liquid conduits are commonly connected.

26. The heat exchange device of claim 18, wherein the vapor conduit is a bifurcated pipe with a multiple of ports connecting with the evaporator.