Orientation independent evaporator
First Claim
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1. An orientation independent evaporator for cooling a body, said evaporator comprising:
- a housing for containing an evaporatable cooling fluid, said housing having an extended surface for thermal contact with said body which is to be cooled, said extended surface having at least a portion thereof exposed to interior portions of said housing which also includes an inlet port;
a wicking layer in thermal contact with said extended surface and disposed within the interior of said housing; and
a wicking member in contact with said wicking layer, said wicking member also being disposed in said housing, said wicking member having a plurality of surface accessible channels, said channels being regularly shaped and sufficiently wide for the passage of liquid phase cooling fluid therethrough without capillary action, said channels not being pores, and which also permit passage of cooling fluid vapor generated at said wicking layer through said wicking member to an exhaust port in said housing.
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Abstract
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an orientation independent evaporator includes a wicking member which also operates as a manifold which possesses a number of surface accessible channels preferably via grooves cut in either side of a slab of wicking material at right angles to one another. The evaporator is, because of the structure of this wicking member, able to be operated in any orientation with respect to a gravitational field. The invention provides an improved evaporator for use in thermosyphons, and in particular, provides an improved mechanism for cooling electronic components.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An orientation independent evaporator for cooling a body, said evaporator comprising:
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a housing for containing an evaporatable cooling fluid, said housing having an extended surface for thermal contact with said body which is to be cooled, said extended surface having at least a portion thereof exposed to interior portions of said housing which also includes an inlet port; a wicking layer in thermal contact with said extended surface and disposed within the interior of said housing; and a wicking member in contact with said wicking layer, said wicking member also being disposed in said housing, said wicking member having a plurality of surface accessible channels, said channels being regularly shaped and sufficiently wide for the passage of liquid phase cooling fluid therethrough without capillary action, said channels not being pores, and which also permit passage of cooling fluid vapor generated at said wicking layer through said wicking member to an exhaust port in said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A thermosyphon system comprising:
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a housing for containing an evaporatable cooling fluid, said housing having an extended surface for thermal contact with said body which is to be cooled, said extended surface having at least a portion thereof exposed to interior portions of said housing which also includes an inlet port; a wicking layer in thermal contact with said extended surface and disposed within the interior of said housing; and a wicking member in contact with said wicking layer, said wicking member also being disposed in said housing, said wicking member having a plurality of surface accessible channels, said channels being regularly shaped and sufficiently wide for the passage of liquid phase cooling fluid therethrough without capillary action, said channels not being pores, and which also permit passage of cooling fluid vapor generated at said wicking layer through said wicking member to an exhaust port in said housing; a condenser; flow communication means connecting said exhaust port to an inlet of said condenser; and flow communication means connecting an outlet of said condenser to said inlet port. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A system cooled by thermosyphon means comprising:
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a housing for containing an evaporatable cooling fluid, said housing having an extended surface for thermal contact with said body which is to be cooled, said extended surface having at least a portion thereof exposed to interior portions of said housing which also includes an inlet port; a wicking layer in thermal contact with said extended surface and disposed within the interior of said housing; and a wicking member in contact with said wicking layer, said wicking member also being disposed in said housing, said wicking member having a plurality of surface accessible channels, said channels being regularly shaped and sufficiently wide for the passage of liquid phase cooling fluid therethrough without capillary action, said channels not being pores, and which also permit passage of cooling fluid vapor generated at said wicking layer through said wicking member to an exhaust port in said housing; a condenser; flow communication means connecting said exhaust port to an inlet of said condenser; flow communication means connecting an outlet of said condenser to said inlet port; and an electronic package heat source in thermal contact with said extended surface of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification