HEAT EXCHANGER DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HEAT REMOVAL OR TRANSFER

• US 20110103011A1
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Koplow, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.54
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0613 the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator
• 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: 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 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/04 with tubes having a capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0029 Heat sinks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels

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 conducting structure includes a heat pipe.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said heat conducting structure defines, at least in part, a hollow cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said heat conducting structure includes a structural element provided to reinforce said hollow cavity.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of a surface defining said hollow cavity includes a surface treatment to reduce super-heating of a working fluid within said hollow cavity.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said thermal load is disposed in said hollow cavity.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said thermal load comprises a CPU.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising electrical feed throughs coupled between the thermal load and an exterior surface of the heat conducting structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a printed circuit board disposed within said hollow cavity and wherein said thermal load is at least partially supported by said printed circuit board.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heat transfer structure is a first heat transfer structure and said gas filled gap region comprises a first gas filled gap region, the apparatus further comprising a second heat transfer structure coupled to said heat conducting structure to form a second gas filled gap region sandwiched between said heat conducting structure and said second heat transfer structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first heat transfer structure is coupled to a first side of said heat conducting structure and said second heat transfer structure is coupled to a second side of said heat conducting structure, different than the first side of said heat conducting structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first and second sides of said heat conducting structure are opposite sides of said heat conducting structure.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heat transfer structure is configured to rotate along an axis of rotation, and wherein said heat transfer structure is further configured to impart motion to said surrounding medium in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said heat transfer structure includes a heat pipe.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said heat transfer structure defines, at least in part, a hollow cavity containing a working fluid, and wherein centrifugal force generated by motion of said heat transfer structure pumps said working fluid.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said surrounding medium comprises air, and said heat transfer structure is configured to generate air flow through a duct of an HVAC system.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said heat transfer structure is configured as a centrifugal flexure to, at least in part, regulate at dimension of said gas filled gap region.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said heat transfer structure comprises a cylindrical tube including a plurality of interior fins.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of interior fins are twisted along a length of the cylindrical tube.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a threaded end bell coupled to said heat transfer structure;

a motor configured to move said heat transfer structure relative to said heat conducting structure; and

a threaded spindle coupled to the motor and configured to thread into and out of said threaded end bell during operation, such that a height of said gas filled gap region is set by a geometry of the threaded end bell and the threaded spindle when the heat transfer structure has substantially low angular momentum.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said threaded end bell at least partially defines an opening configured to circulate air through at least a portion of said motor.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said thermal load is coupled to said heat conducting structure using a polymer solvent weld.

23. A method of dissipating heat from a thermal load, wherein the thermal load is in thermal contact with a heat conducting structure the method comprising:

separating a heat transfer structure from the heat conducting structure by a gas filled gap region, wherein said gas filled gap region has a substantially low thermal resistance; and

moving the heat transfer structure through a surrounding medium with respect to the heat conducting structure.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said moving the heat transfer structure comprises rotating the heat transfer structure around an axis of rotation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the heat transfer structure is configured to move the surrounding medium in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the heat transfer structure is configured to move the surrounding medium in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the heat transfer structure is a first heat transfer structure, and the gas filled gap region is a first gas filled gap region, the method further comprising:

separating a second heat transfer structure from the heat conducting structure by a second gas filled gap region; and

moving the second heat transfer structure through the surrounding medium relative to the heat conducting structure.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of moving the first heat transfer structure comprises rotating the first heat transfer structure in a first direction and the act of moving the second heat transfer structure comprises moving the second heat transfer structure in a second, different, direction.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising circulating a working fluid through a hollow cavity defined, at least in part, by the heat conducting structure.