METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING WITH A PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL AND HEAT PIPES

• US 20060293086A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Short, Byron Elliott Jr., Haws, James L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,416,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/50 for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/506 Heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/00 Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
• 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 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/023 the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/003 by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials F28F13/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/12 for preventing overpressure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/14 for preventing damage by freezing, e.g. for accommodating volume expansion
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2275/025 by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4275 by melting or evaporation of solids
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20336 Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/902 Heat storage

Abstract

A cooling apparatus (10) includes a housing defined by two aluminum parts (12, 13) which are brazed to each other. A plurality of sector-shaped recesses (21-28) are provided within the housing, and collectively define a chamber having a plurality of ribs (41-48) extending therethrough. Each recess contains a sector-shaped piece of porous material (17, 18), which is brazed to surfaces of the housing parts. The remaining space within the chamber is filled with a phase change material. Each of the ribs has therein a respective radially extending opening (101-108) which contains a heat pipe (141). Expansion accumulators (151) are mounted on the housing, and communicate with the chamber therein, in order to accommodate expansion of the phase change material within the chamber as the phase change material is heated.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a chamber therein, and having thereon an exterior surface through which heat can enter and leave said housing;

a heat absorbing material disposed within said chamber in said housing; and

a heat pipe disposed completely within the chamber and disposed within the material of said housing and operative to facilitate heat distribution within the material of said housing in a manner which reduces temperature gradients across said surface.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat absorbing material is a phase change material.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a thermally conductive portion with an opening therein, said opening being free of communication with said chamber, and wherein said heat pipe is disposed within said opening in said thermally conductive portion.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, including a plurality of further heat pipes;

wherein said housing includes a plurality of thermally conductive ribs extending within said chamber and each having therein an opening; and

wherein each said opening has therein a respective one of said heat pipes, said further heat pipes each facilitating heat distribution within said housing in a manner which reduces temperature gradients across said surface.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each said opening has a first end which communicates through a passageway in said housing with a location external to said housing.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each said opening has a second end which is remote from said first end and which opens outwardly through an outer surface of said housing.

7. A method of cooling, comprising the steps of:

transferring heat to a housing through an exterior surface on said housing, said housing having therein a chamber that contains a heat absorbing material;

distributing said heat within the material of said housing, including the step of using a heat pipe disposed completely within the chamber and disposed within the material of said housing to facilitate distribution of said heat in a manner which reduces temperature gradients across said surface; and

causing said heat absorbing material to absorb said heat.

8. A method according to claim 7, including the step of using a phase change material as said heat absorbing material.

9. A method according to claim 8, including the step of providing within said chamber a porous material which is thermally conductive, and which is in contact with said heat absorbing material.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of distributing said heat so as to reduce temperature gradients is carried out using a plurality of heat pipes.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of distributing said heat includes the steps of providing said housing with a plurality of ribs which are thermally conductive and each extend within said chamber, and providing a respective said heat pipe within each of said ribs.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a chamber therein, and having thereon an exterior surface through which heat can enter and leave said housing;

a heat absorbing material disposed within said chamber in said housing; and

means for distributing heat within the material of said housing in a manner which reduces temperature gradients across said surface, said means including a heat pipe disposed completely within the chamber and disposed within the material of said housing.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said heat absorbing material is a phase change material.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means includes said housing having a thermally conductive portion with an opening therein, said opening being free of communication with said chamber, and wherein said heat pipe is disposed within said opening in said thermally conductive portion.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means includes a plurality of further heat pipes, and includes said housing having a plurality of thermally conductive ribs which each extend within said chamber and which each have therein an opening;

and wherein each said opening has therein a respective one of said heat pipes.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each said opening has a first end which communicates through a passageway in said housing with a location external to said housing.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each said opening has a second end which is remote from said first end and which opens outwardly through an outer surface of said housing.

18. An apparatus according to claim 12, including an antenna system which engages said surface on said housing and which generates heat that is transferred through said surface to said housing.

19. An apparatus according to claim 12, including in said chamber within said heat absorbing material a thermally conductive member made of a porous material.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said housing and said thermally conductive member are made of a metal, and wherein said thermally conductive member is brazed to surfaces of said housing which define said chamber.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said heat absorbing material is a phase change material.