HEAT EXCHANGER DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HEAT REMOVAL OR TRANSFER

• US 20100177480A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia National Laboratories (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Koplow, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/697
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0633 Details of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/066 Linear Motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5853 heat insulation or conduction
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/125 by stirring
• 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 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 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

Systems and methods for a forced-convection heat exchanger are provided. In one embodiment, heat is transferred to or from a thermal load in thermal contact with a heat conducting structure, across a narrow air gap, to a rotating heat transfer structure immersed in a surrounding medium such as air.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a heat conducting structure adaptable to be in thermal contact with a thermal load; and

a heat transfer structure immersed in a surrounding medium, said heat transfer structure being coupled to said heat conducting structure to form a gas filled gap region sandwiched between said heat conducting structure and said heat transfer structure, said gas filled gap region having a substantially low thermal resistance, said heat transfer structure being movable relative to said heat conducting structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heat transfer structure is provided with surface features comprising one or more of fins, vanes, blades, channels, ducts, pins, posts, plates, slots, protrusions, recesses, perforations, holes, textured surfaces, segmented elements, staggered elements, and smooth surfaces.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a bearing structure adapted to maintain said gas filled gap region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a mechanism adapted to rotate and/or translate said heat transfer structure relative to said surrounding medium and/or heat conducting structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a means for adjusting dimensions of said gas filled gap region.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein dimensions of said gas filled gap region are unregulated, passively regulated, actively regulated, or a suitable combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gap distance is substantially zero, so as to permit sliding contact between said heat transfer structure and said heat conducting structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein surfaces of said heat conducting structure and said heat transfer structure comprise a lubricant coating, anti-friction coating, or both.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surrounding medium comprises a pure gas or a mixture of gases.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas filled gap region comprises a pure gas or a mixture of gases.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

an inlet port adapted to direct air received from outside of a building and/or enclosure to said heat transfer structure; and

an outlet port adapted to direct heated air from said heat transfer structure to outside said building and/or enclosure.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted to thermal management of one or more active and/or passive electronic components, including but not limited to a resistor, capacitor, inductor, transformer, diode, rectifier, thyristor, transistor, amplifier, integrated circuit, display driver, line driver, buffer, microprocessor, central processing unit, graphics processing unit, coprocessor, transducer, sensor, actuator, power supply, ac to dc converter, dc to ac converter, dc to dc converter, ac to ac converter, or printed circuit assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted to thermal management of a building, enclosure, or apparatus containing one or more thermal loads, such as a power plant, factory, computer data center, computer server farm, commercial building, laboratory, office, public space, residential dwelling, transport vehicle, instrument or machine.

14. An apparatus comprising one or more heat exchangers, such as a heater, air conditioner, refrigerator, freezer, absorption chiller, evaporative cooler, thermal reservoir, condenser, radiator, heat pump, heat engine, motor, or generator wherein one or more of said heat exchangers comprise the apparatus of claim 1.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said surface features are disposed of in a forward swept, backward swept, and/or radial orientation.

16. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said bearing structure is adapted to provide substantially low friction between said heat conducting structure and said heat transfer structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said bearing structure comprises one or more of a hydrodynamic gas bearing, hydrostatic gas bearing, magnetic bearing, mechanical bearing and/or bushing structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said bearing structure comprises a hydrodynamic gas bearing, and further providing one or more mechanisms adapted to reduce or eliminate mechanical contact between surfaces of heat conducting structure and heat transfer structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said bearing structure comprises a hydrostatic gas bearing, and further comprising spiral grooves or other surface features on said heat transfer structure, wherein said spiral grooves or other surface features provide a means to impart rotation to said heat transfer structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 4, and further comprising one or more mechanisms adapted to maintain a substantially constant axis of rotation.

21. The apparatus of claim 4, and further comprising at least one rotor member and one or more stator coils adapted to impart rotation to said heat transfer structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said heat transfer structure is adapted to pump, circulate, and/or impart motion to said surrounding medium.

23. The apparatus of claim 4, and further comprising a means for adjusting thermal resistance of said apparatus by varying angular velocity of said heat transfer structure.

24. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein placement of said heat transfer structure in an accelerating frame of reference substantially reduces average thickness of boundary layer surrounding said heat transfer structure.

25. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein angular velocity of said heat transfer structure is high enough to induce turbulent flow over a portion of one or more surfaces of said heat transfer structure.

26. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said heat transfer structure comprises at least one structural element for generating turbulence or promoting convective transport in said gas filled gap region, wherein the thermal resistance of said gas filled gap region is reduced.

27. The apparatus of claim 4, and further comprising one or more mechanisms adapted to reverse rotation direction of said heat transfer structure.

28. A temperature control apparatus comprising the apparatus of claim 23.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein reverse rotation of said heat transfer structure is adapted to removal of foreign matter, including but not limited to particulates, condensation and/or ice, from one or more surfaces said heat transfer structure.

30. A method of transferring heat between a thermal load and a surrounding medium, comprising a heat conducting structure in thermal contact with a thermal load, a movable heat transfer structure through which heat may be exchanged with a surrounding medium, a gas filled gap region between at least one surface of said heat conducting structure and at least one surface of said heat transfer structure, wherein heat is transferred between said thermal load and said surrounding medium.

31. An integrated circuit assembly comprising:

an integrated circuit package having a surface;

a heat transfer structure in thermal contact with the integrated circuit package; and

a motor configured to move the heat transfer structure, wherein the heat transfer structure and the integrated circuit package are configured such that a gas filled gap is formed between the heat transfer structure and the integrated circuit package at least in part responsive to motion of the heat transfer structure, the heat transfer structure configured to transfer heat to a surrounding medium.

32. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 wherein the motor is configured to rotate the heat transfer structure to transfer heat to the surrounding medium.

33. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 wherein the assembly is substantially free of thermally conductive grease or paste between the heat transfer structure and the integrated circuit package.

34. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 further comprising an integrated circuit board, the integrated circuit package coupled to the integrated circuit board with at least one solder joint.

35. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 wherein the motor is at least partially integrated into the integrated circuit package.

36. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 35 wherein a coil of a stator structure is disposed within the integrated circuit package.

37. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 35 further comprising drive circuitry configured to couple a control signal to the motor, the drive circuitry disposed at least partially within the integrated circuit package.

38. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 wherein the surface of the integrated circuit package has a texture configured to at least partially generate the gas filled gap responsive to motion of the heat transfer structure.

39. The integrated circuit assembly of claim 31 wherein a surface of the heat transfer structure has a texture configured to at least partially generate the gas filled gap responsive to motion of the heat transfer structure.