VARIABLE-CONDUCTANCE HEAT TRANSFER DEVICE

• US 20130299136A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bilski, Walter John, Toth, Jerome E., Thayer, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,810,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• 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 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/14 by endowing the walls of conduits with zones of different degrees of conduction of heat

Abstract

A heat transfer device is provided for conducting heat from a heat source. The heat transfer device generally includes an evaporator for generating a vapor, a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator, and a vapor flow restrictor interposed between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor can increase vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser.

Claims

1. A heat transfer device for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat transfer device comprising:

an evaporator for generating a vapor;

a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator; and

a vapor flow restrictor interposed between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor increases vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser.

2. The heat transfer device of claim 1 having a working fluid therein, wherein the vapor flow restrictor permits flow of the working fluid therepast.

3. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises an orifice.

4. The heat transfer device of claim 3, wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises a baffle, wherein the orifice is located in the baffle.

5. The heat transfer device of claim 4, wherein the heat transfer device further comprises a wall, wherein at least a portion of the wall has wick material attached thereto.

6. The heat transfer device of claim 5, wherein the baffle has a perimeter and wherein the perimeter of the baffle is in contact with at least a portion of the wick material.

7. The heat transfer device of claim 6, wherein flow of working fluid is permitted through the wick material adjacent the baffle.

8. The heat transfer device of claim 7, wherein the baffle is adjacent the evaporator.

9. The heat transfer device of claim 3, wherein the heat pipe comprises a primary part and a secondary part separated by a wall, wherein the orifice is located in the wall.

10. The heat transfer device of claim 3, wherein the heat transfer device further comprises a wall, wherein at least a portion of the wall has wick material attached thereto, and wherein the orifice comprises a constriction in the wick.

11. The heat transfer device of claim 3, wherein the heat transfer device further comprises a wall and wherein the orifice comprises a constriction defined at least in part by the wall.

12. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein the vapor is substantially free of non-condensable gas.

13. A heat transfer device for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat transfer device comprising:

an evaporator for generating a vapor;

a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator; and

a vapor flow restrictor interposed between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned adjacent the evaporator, and wherein the vapor flow restrictor includes a baffle with an orifice therethrough.

14. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned no more than half way from the evaporator to the condenser.

15. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the orifice is located in the baffle such that the orifice is located approximately at a center of the heat transfer device.

16. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the baffle defines a baffle diameter, the orifice defines an orifice diameter, and the orifice diameter is 0.5% to 15% of the baffle diameter.

17. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer device comprises a wall, and at least a portion of the baffle is fixedly connected to the wall.

18. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer device comprises a wall, and the vapor flow restrictor includes a plurality of tabs, the tabs connecting the baffle to the wall.

19. The heat transfer device of claim 18, wherein the tabs at least partially define at least one gap between the baffle and the wall, wherein the vapor is condensed at the condenser to form a working fluid, and wherein the working fluid is returned to the evaporator through the gap.

20. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises a screen.

21. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer device comprises a wall, and the heat transfer device further comprises a wick disposed on at least a portion of the wall.

22. The heat transfer device of claim 21, wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises at least a portion of the wick.

23. The heat transfer device of claim 22, wherein the wick comprises an inner surface spaced apart from the wall, at least a portion of the inner surface tapering in a direction along the wall.

24. The heat transfer device of claim 21, wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises a baffle with an orifice therethrough, and wherein the baffle has a perimeter in contact with the wick.

25. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the vapor flow restrictor increases vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser.

26. The heat transfer device of claim 13, further comprising a working fluid, wherein the vapor flow restrictor permits the working fluid to flow between the condenser and the evaporator.

27. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the flow restrictor is positioned at no more than one-third of the way from the evaporator to the condenser.

28. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the vapor is substantially free of non-condensable gas.

29. The heat transfer device of claim 13, wherein the evaporator is connected to the condenser in a closed loop.

30. The heat transfer device of claim 29, wherein the closed loop comprises at least one check valve which permits at least one of vapor and liquid to flow in only one direction.

31. A heat transfer device for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat transfer device comprising:

an evaporator;

a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator, at least one of the evaporator and condenser at least partially defining a wall of an interior space of the heat transfer device;

a vapor flowing between the evaporator and the condenser;

a wick disposed on at least a portion of an interior surface of the wall, the wick having a working fluid in contact therewith in a liquid form; and

a vapor flow restrictor interposed between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned adjacent the evaporator, and wherein the vapor flow restrictor comprises a baffle having an opening therethrough.

32. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned at no more than half way from the evaporator to the condenser.

33. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the baffle comprises a perimeter and wherein the perimeter of the baffle is in contact with the wick such that substantially all of the vapor passes through the opening in the baffle.

34. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the baffle is in contact with at least one portion of the interior surface of the wall.

35. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the vapor flow restrictor increases vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser.

36. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the evaporator and the condenser have wick disposed therein.

37. The heat transfer device of claim 36, wherein the working fluid flows between the evaporator and the condenser via the wick.

38. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the vapor is substantially free of non-condensable gas.

39. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the wick comprises an inner surface spaced apart from the interior surface of the wall, at least a portion of the inner surface tapering in a direction along the wall.

40. The heat transfer device of claim 31, wherein the flow restrictor is positioned no more than one-third of the way from the evaporator to the condenser.

41. A heat transfer device for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat transfer device comprising:

an evaporator for generating a vapor;

a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator; and

a vapor flow restrictor interposed between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned adjacent the evaporator, and wherein the vapor is substantially free of non-condensable gas.

42. The heat transfer device of claim 41, wherein the vapor flow restrictor increases vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser.

43. The heat transfer device of claim 41, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned at no more than half way from the evaporator to the condenser.

44. A method of conducting heat from a heat source, the method comprising:

providing a heat transfer device, the device including an evaporator for generating a vapor, and a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator;

interposing a vapor flow restrictor between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor flow restrictor is positioned adjacent the evaporator; and

increasing vapor pressure in at least a portion of the evaporator relative to vapor pressure in the condenser by restricting a flow of the vapor from the evaporator to the condenser with the vapor flow restrictor.