Micro heat pipe panels and method for producing same

• US 5,527,588 A
• Filed: 05/03/1995
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System, United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System, United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Peterson, George P., Camarda, Charles J., Rummler, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US08/433,009
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 428/178, 428/188, 428/72, 428/212, 428/913, 52/793.1, 165/104.11
• US Class Current: 428/188
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2597/00 Tubular articles, e.g. hoses, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/20 of hollow pieces, e.g. tubes; of pieces with channels or cavities
• 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 2015/0225 Microheat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2200/005 Testing heat pipes
• 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: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49352 Repairing, converting, servicing or salvaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24744 Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

Flat or curved micro heat pipe panels are fabricated by arranging essentially parallel filaments in the shape of the desired panel. The configuration of the filaments corresponds to the desired configuration of the tubes that will constitute the heat pipes. A thermally conductive material is then deposited on and around the filaments to fill in the desired shape of the panel. The filaments are then removed, leaving tubular passageways of the desired configuration and surface texture in the material. The tubes are then filled with a working fluid and sealed. Composite micro heat pipe laminates are formed by layering individual micro heat pipe panels and bonding them to each other to form a single structure. The layering sequence of the micro heat pipe panels can be tailored to transport heat preferentially in specific directions as desired for a particular application.

Claims

1. A composite micro heat pipe laminate comprised of:

a plurality of micro heat pipe panels layered and bonded to each other such that conductivity between adjacent panels is maintained; and

each micro heat pipe panel is further comprised of substantially parallel micro heat pipes formed as tubular passageways in a deposited, thermally conductive material and containing working fluids, with adjacent micro heat pipe panels in the composite micro heat pipe laminate having micro heat pipe orientations that differ from each other by a desired amount to tailor the thermal conductivity of the composite micro heat pipe laminate.

2. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is deposited using hot isostatic pressing.

3. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is deposited using vapor deposition.

4. The laminate of claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive material is a metal.

5. The laminate of claim 4, wherein the metal is a superalloy.

6. The laminate of claim 4, wherein the thermally conductive metal is selected from the group of materials consisting of tungsten, tungsten-rhenium, molybdenum-rhenium, columbium and aluminum-copper.