MICRO-CHANNEL PULSATING HEAT PUMP

• US 20090101308A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Peregrine Falcon Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Peregrine Falcon Corporation
• Inventors: Hardesty, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,919,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/80.400
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/035 with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits F28D1/0341 takes precedence
• 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 15/0266 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: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/10 Particular layout, e.g. for uniform temperature distribution

Abstract

A heat pump device and method in which micro-channel embedded pulsating heat pumps are incorporated into a substrate. A volume of fluid in a vacuum is introduced into a micro-channel which will become slugs of liquid. Heating of the contents of the micro-channel at an evaporation (heat source) will cause vaporization within the micro-channel and cooling at a heat sink will cause condensation within the micro-channel, acting to both drive fluid flow within the micro-channel and efficiently transfer heat. Such devices could be used in a number of different configuration, including as a stacked set of micro-channel embedded substrates.

Claims

1. A micro-channel embedded heat pipe comprising:

a first sheet having a first serpentine trace pattern;

a second sheet bonded onto said first sheet, said second sheet having a second serpentine trace pattern substantially matching said first serpentine trace pattern such that when said first sheet and said second sheet are bonded together to form a bonded sheet, a serpentine micro-channel is formed in said bonded sheet; and

at least one fill tubes on at least one edge of the bonded sheet, allowing introduction of a liquid into said micro-channel.

2. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, further including a liquid contained within said micro-channel partially filling the micro-channel said micro-channel having a liquid unfilled portion be a vacuum.

3. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, wherein said serpentine micro-channel has an evaporator transfer region and a condensation transfer region.

4. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, wherein the micro-channels spanning between the condenser and evaporator are sealed after partially filling the micro-channels with a working fluid wherein no active fluid driver is in fluid communication with the working fluid.

5. A micro-channel embedded heat pump comprising:

a planar substrate;

a serpentine micro-channel embedded within said planar substrate;

a working fluid that partially fills the embedded micro-channel;

at least one evaporation transfer region on said planar substrate; and

at least one condensation transfer region on said planar substrate.

6. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of stacked planar substrates, each having a serpentine micro-channel embedded within each planar substrate:

at least one evaporation transfer region on a plurality of the planar substrates; and

at least one condensation transfer region on a plurality of the planar substrates.

7. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein at least one evaporation transfer region includes a plurality of evaporation thermal transfer regions.

8. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein at least one condensation transfer region includes a plurality of condensation thermal transfer regions.

9. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said planar substrate is incorporated into a structural element.

10. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein the serpentine channels may vary in diameter size allowing the regulation of flow.

11. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein the serpentine micro-channel embedded within said planar substrate may have liquid introduced by a fill tube positioned to allow a liquid to be introduced into said micro-channel to partially fill the micro-channel, the unfilled region to be a vacuum.

12. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said planar substrate includes two metallurgically joined sheets of material.

13. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said micro-channel includes a first plurality of micro-channel sections having a relatively larger cross-sectional area, and a second plurality of micro-channel sections having relatively small cross-sectional areas.

14. A method for heat transfer comprising:

providing a serpentine micro-channel embedded in a planar substrate;

introducing slug;

bubble and/or annular fluid flow through said micro-channel; and

transferring heat from an evaporator area of said planar substrate; and

transferring heat to a condensation area of said planar substrate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transferring heat occurs by conduction.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein transferring heat occurs by heat of vaporization.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein transferring heat occurs by heat of condensation.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein transferring heat occurs by convection.