Integral heat pipe enclosure

• US 6,076,595 A
• Filed: 10/21/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Low, Andrew, Greer, Stephen, Austin, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK
• Application Number:
  US09/176,564
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104.33, 165/45, 165/104.22, 165/104.26, 165/104.21, 165/104.14, 165/104.23, 165/104.24, 165/104.25, 361/700, 361/724, 257/715, 62/259.2, 62/259.4, 62/260
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/025 having non-capillary condensate return means
• 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 15/04 with tubes having a capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2069 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets

Abstract

A passive cooling system for cooling an enclosure containing electronic components. A hollowed portion of the enclosure is formed as an integral heat pipe containing a working fluid. The hollowed portion has an evaporator section located at the top and a condenser section located at the bottom. The enclosure also has hollowed side walls which serve as passage ways for the working fluid to flow through in between the evaporator and condenser sections. Gravity and the pressure of evaporation force the working fluid down to the condenser section. A wick is provided for returning the working fluid to the evaporator section by capillary action. Additionally, an ultrasonic transducer driven by the heat rejected from the condenser section may be used to help return the working fluid to the evaporator section. Finally, a check valve may be employed before the evaporator section for the working fluid to flow through.

Claims

1. A cooling system for cooling heat generating components comprising:

(a) a plurality of walls forming an enclosure for mounting heat generating components within, at least one of said walls including a hollowed portion;

(b) a loop incorporated into said hollowed portion, said loop comprising;

(i) an evaporation section disposed to receive heat from within said enclosure and thereby cause a refrigerant to vaporize,

(ii) a condenser section disposed to reject said heat from said refrigerant and thereby condense said refrigerant into a liquid; and

(c) said evaporation section being located above said condenser section in said loop.

2. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat sink, said condenser section condensing said refrigerant by rejecting said heat to said heat sink.

3. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wick member for transferring said refrigerant from said condenser section to said evaporation section.

4. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a solar load for vaporizing said refrigerant.

5. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer for transferring said refrigerant from said condenser section to said evaporation section.

6. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a check valve in said loop for preventing back flow from said evaporation section to said condenser section.

7. A cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooling system is entirely passive.

8. A passive cooling system for cooling heat generating components comprising:

(a) a plurality of walls forming an enclosure for mounting heat generating components within, at least one of said walls having a hollowed portion;

(b) a first loop heat pipe embedded in said hollowed portion(s), said first loop heat pipe including;

(i) a first evaporator having an inflow end and an outflow end;

(ii) a first condenser having an inflow end and an outflow end, said first condenser disposed below said evaporator;

(iii) a first conduit, said first conduit connected to said outflow end of said first evaporator and to said inflow end of said first condenser;

(iv) a second conduit, said second conduit connected to said outflow end of said first condenser and to said inflow end of said first evaporator; and

,

(c) a first working fluid flowing through said first loop heat pipe.

9. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a solar load in thermal communication with said first evaporator.

10. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first condenser is in thermal communication with earth.

11. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first loop heat pipe includes a wicking member located in said second conduit near said outflow end of said first condenser for returning said first working fluid in said first loop heat pipe to said first evaporator.

12. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer located in said second conduit near said outflow end of said first condenser for returning said first working fluid to said first evaporator.

13. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a check valve located in said second conduit near said inflow end of said first evaporator for preventing reverse flow of said first working fluid.

14. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first condenser is buried in a ground in a concrete mixture.

15. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a fin located on both of said first evaporator and said first condenser for increased rate of thermal dissipation.

16. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a third conduit, said third conduit connected to said outflow end of said first evaporator and to said inflow end of said first condenser.

17. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a third conduit, said third conduit connected to said outflow end of said first condenser and to said inflow end of said first evaporator.

18. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a fourth conduit, said fourth conduit connected to said outflow end of said first evaporator and to said inflow end of said first condenser.

19. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(d) a second loop heat pipe embedded in said hollowed portion(s), said second loop heat pipe including;

(i) a second evaporator having an inflow end and an outflow end;

(ii) a second condenser having an inflow end and an outflow end, said second condenser disposed below said second evaporator;

(iii) a third conduit, said third conduit connected to said outflow end of said second evaporator and to said inflow end of said second condenser;

(iv) a fourth conduit, said fourth conduit connected to said outflow end of said second condenser and to said inflow end of said second evaporator; and

,

(e) a second working fluid flowing through said second loop heat pipe.

20. A passive cooling system for cooling heat generating components comprising:

(a) a plurality of walls forming an enclosure for mounting heat generating components within, at least one of said walls including a hollowed portion;

(b) a loop at least partially incorporated into said hollowed portion, said loop having;

(i) an evaporation section disposed to receive heat from within said enclosure and thereby cause a refrigerant to vaporize,

(ii) a condenser section disposed to reject said heat from said refrigerant and thereby condense said refrigerant into a liquid; and

(c) said refrigerant continuously circulating in said loop, said refrigerant forced to said condenser section by at least an evaporation pressure after flowing through said evaporator section.

21. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said refrigerant is further forced to said condenser section by force of gravity.

22. A passive cooling system for cooling heat generating components comprising:

(a) a plurality of walls forming an enclosure for mounting heat generating components within, at least one of said walls including a hollowed portion;

(b) a loop incorporating said hollowed portion, said loop having;

(i) an evaporation section disposed to receive heat from within said enclosure and thereby cause a refrigerant to vaporize,

(ii) a condenser section disposed to reject said heat from said refrigerant and thereby condense said refrigerant into a liquid;

(iii) a wicking member; and

(c) said refrigerant continuously circulating in said loop, said refrigerant transferred to said evaporation section at least in part by said wicking member.

23. A passive cooling system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said wicking member forces said refrigerant to said evaporation section by capillary action.

24. A method for cooling heat generating components in an enclosure having a plurality of walls, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying heat from within said enclosure to an evaporator section within one of said walls of said enclosure to cause a working fluid to become a vapor;

(b) forcing the vapor down through one of said walls of said enclosure to a condenser section within one of said walls of said enclosure through increased pressure;

(c) condensing said vapor in said condenser section and causing said vapor to return to said working fluid; and

(d) returning said working fluid up through one of said walls of said enclosure to said evaporator section.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said working fluid continuously repeats flowing through said evaporator section and said condenser section.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said working fluid is returned to said evaporator section via a wicking member.