Integral heat pipe, heat exchanger, and clamping plate

• US 5,253,702 A
• Filed: 01/14/1992
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Davidson, Howard L., Ettehadieh, Ehsan
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS JR, ALBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/820,566
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 165/185, 165/104.21, 165/80.3, 165/80.4, 165/104.14, 165/104.26, 165/104.33, 361/385, 29/890.032
• US Class Current: 165/80.4
• 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: 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: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• 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: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

An integral heat pipe, heat exchanger, and clamping plate. A base plate functioning as an evaporator has disposed in it a multiplicity of intersecting parallel and perpendicular internal channels extending laterally substantially across the base plate. A sintered copper thermal wick is applied to all channels. Thin-walled condenser tubes forming a condenser region are joined to the base plate at intersections of width wise and cross wise channels contained in the base plate. A multiplicity of fins extend to all condenser tubes. For heat pipe arrangements operating in horizontal configurations, all wick-lined channels within the base plate remain open. For heat pipe arrangements intended to operate in oblique or vertical configurations, horizontally extending channels vertically displaced relative to other horizontal channels are isolated from the latter by a multiplicity of plugs. The vertically isolated horizontally extending channels constrain the working fluid and its vapor to remain within a single horizontal channel and yet disperse laterally within the maximum internal dimensions of the evaporator. Condensed working fluid returning from the condenser region to the base plate and subsequently to the heated region via capillary action is cycled more rapidly through the evaporation and condensation phases, thereby increasing the efficiency of the integral heat pipe arrangement.

Claims

1. An integral heat pipe, heat exchanger, and clamping assembly comprising:

an evaporator comprising a first and a second plurality of wick-lined channels containing a working fluid;

said first plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally and laterally in a first dimension across said evaporator;

said second plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally and laterally across said evaporator in a second dimension substantially perpendicular to said first dimension in a grid-like manner and being in fluid communication with said first plurality of wick-lined channels;

condenser means coupled to said evaporator for condensing evaporated working fluid vapor; and

,

heat exchanger means connected to said condenser means for transferring that absorbed by said condenser means.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said evaporator further comprises a plurality of structural strengtheners for increasing torsional rigidity and bending stiffness of said evaporator.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said structural strengtheners comprise regions of said evaporator wherein said first and second pluralities of channels do not extend.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said condenser means comprises a plurality of elongated thin-walled tubes extending perpendicularly from said evaporator and hermetically sealed to said evaporator.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said evaporator further comprises a third plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally across said evaporator in a third dimension substantially perpendicular to said first and second dimensions and intersecting said first and second pluralities of channels where said first and second pluralities of channels intersect, said third plurality of channels placing said condenser means in fluid communication with said first and second pluralities of channels.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger means comprises a plurality of fins laterally extending and thermally joined to said elongated thin-walled tubes.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said evaporator further comprises a plurality of plugs disposed in said second plurality of wick-lined channels, said plugs isolating said working fluid within particular regions of said second plurality of wick-lined channels and preventing fluid communication between said first plurality of wick-lined channels.

8. An integral heat pipe, heat exchanger, and clamping assembly comprising:

an evaporator comprising a first, second and third plurality of wick-lined channels containing a working fluid;

said first plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally and laterally in a first dimension across said evaporator;

said second plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally and laterally across said evaporator in a second dimension substantially perpendicular to said first dimension in a grid-like manner and being in fluid communication with said first plurality of wick-lined channels;

said third plurality of wick-lined channels extending internally across said evaporator in a third dimension substantially perpendicular to said first and second dimensions and intersecting said first and second pluralities of channels intersect and being in fluid communication with said first and second plurality of channels;

a plurality of structural strengtheners coupled to said evaporator for increasing torsional rigidity and bending stiffness of said evaporator

a plurality of elongated thin-walled tubes extending perpendicular from said evaporator and hermetically sealed to said evaporator for condensing evaporated working fluid vapor; and

,

a plurality of fins extending to and thermally joined to said elongated thin-walled tubes for transferring heat absorbed by said plurality of thin-walled tubes.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein said structural strengtheners comprise regions of said plate wherein said first, second and third pluralities of channels do not extend.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein said evaporator further comprises a plurality of plugs disposed in said second plurality of wick-lined channels, said plugs isolating said working fluid within particular regions of said second plurality of wick-lined channels and preventing fluid communication between said first plurality of wick-lined channels.

11. A method of providing an integral heat pipe, heat exchanger, and clamping assembly, said method comprising the steps of;

providing an evaporator comprising a first and a second plurality of wick-lined channels containing a working fluid;

extending said first plurality of wick-lined channels internally and laterally in a first dimension across said evaporator;

extending said second plurality of wick-lined channels internally and laterally across said evaporator in a second dimension substantially perpendicular to said first dimension in a grid-like manner and being in fluid communication with said first plurality of wick-lined channels;

providing condenser means coupled to said evaporator for condensing evaporated working fluid vapor; and

,

providing heat exchanger means connected to said condenser means for transferring heat absorbed by said condenser means.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein providing said evaporator further comprises providing a plurality of structural strengtheners for increasing torsional rigidity and bending stiffness of said evaporator.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein providing said structural strengtheners comprises providing regions of said evaporator wherein said first and second pluralities of channels do not extend.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein providing said condenser means comprises providing a plurality of elongated thin-walled tubes extending perpendicularly from said evaporator and hermetically sealed to said evaporator.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing said evaporator further comprises extending a third plurality of wick-lined channels across said evaporator in a third dimension substantially perpendicular to said first and second dimensions and intersecting said first and second pluralities of channels where said first and second pluralities of channels intersect, and placing said condenser means in fluid communication with said first and second pluralities of channels.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing said heat exchanger means comprises providing a plurality of fins extending to and thermally joined to said elongated thin-walled tubes.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein providing said evaporator further comprises providing a plurality of plugs disposed in said second plurality of wick-lined channels, said plugs isolating said working fluid within particular regions of said second plurality of wick-lined channels and preventing fluid communication between said first plurality of wick lined channels.