Manufacture of a heat transfer system

• US 7,251,889 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Swales & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Kroliczek, Edward J., Wolf, David A. Sr., Nikitkin, Michael, Yun, James Seokgeun
• Primary Examiner(s): COMPTON, ERIC B
• Application Number:
  US10/974,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 298/900.32, 294/47, 298/900.7, 165/104.21, 165/104.26, 165/272, 165/DIG.531
• US Class Current: 29/890.07
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 23/006 boiling cooling systems
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/043 forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/531 with wicking structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49396 Condenser, evaporator or vaporizer making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49865 by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit]

Abstract

A method of making an evaporator includes orienting a vapor barrier wall, orienting a liquid barrier wall, and positioning a wick between the vapor barrier wall and the liquid barrier wall. The vapor barrier wall is oriented such that a heat-absorbing surface of the vapor barrier wall defines at least a portion of an exterior surface of the evaporator. The exterior surface is configured to receive heat. The liquid barrier wall is oriented adjacent the vapor barrier wall. The liquid barrier wall has a surface configured to confine liquid. A vapor removal channel is defined at an interface between the wick and the vapor barrier wall. A liquid flow channel is defined between the liquid barrier wall and the primary wick.

Claims

1. A method of making an evaporator, the method comprising:

orienting a vapor barrier wall such that a heat-absorbing surface of the vapor barrier wall defines at least a portion of an exterior surface of the evaporator, the exterior surface being configured to receive heat from a heat source to be cooled by the evaporator;

orienting a liquid barrier wall adjacent the vapor barrier wall, wherein the liquid barrier wall has a surface configured to confine liquid;

positioning a wick between the vapor barrier wall and the liquid barrier wall;

wherein at least one of the orienting a vapor barrier wall, orienting a liquid barrier wall, and positioning the wick includes defining a vapor removal channel at an interface between the wick and the vapor barrier wall; and

wherein at least one of the orienting a vapor barrier wall, orienting a liquid barrier wall, and positioning the wick includes defining a liquid flow channel between the liquid barrier wall and the wick.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the vapor barrier wall and forming the liquid barrier wall.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the vapor barrier wall includes forming the vapor barrier wall into a planar shape and forming the liquid barrier wall includes forming the liquid barrier wall into a planar shape.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the vapor barrier wall includes forming the vapor barrier wall into a cylindrical shape and forming the liquid barrier wall includes forming the liquid barrier wall into a cylindrical shape.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein positioning the wick includes heat shrinking the wick on the vapor barrier wall.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein positioning the wick includes heat shrinking the liquid barrier wall on the wick.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning includes positioning the wick between the vapor barrier wall and the liquid confining surface of the liquid barrier wall.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising orienting a subcooler adjacent the liquid barrier wall.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein orienting the subcooler includes heat shrinking the subcooler onto the liquid barrier wall.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

electroetching the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

machining the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising embedding the vapor removal channel within the wick.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

photoetching the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the vapor barrier wall by rolling a vapor barrier material into a cylindrical shape and sealing mating edges of the vapor barrier material.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the liquid barrier wall by rolling a liquid barrier material into a cylindrical shape and sealing mating edges of the liquid barrier material.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein orienting the liquid barrier wall includes heat shrinking the liquid barrier wall.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the liquid barrier wall, and

photoetching the liquid flow channel into the liquid barrier wall.

18. A method of making an evaporator, the method comprising:

orienting a vapor barrier wall defining a longitudinal axis and having a cylindrical shape inside of a liquid barrier wall having a cylindrical shape and defining a longitudinal axis, such that the longitudinal axis of the liquid barrier wall is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vapor barrier wall; and

positioning a wick between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall, the wick defining a longitudinal axis that is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the liquid barrier wall.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming the vapor barrier wall and forming the liquid barrier wall.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein positioning the wick includes heat shrinking the wick on the vapor barrier wall.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein positioning the wick includes heat shrinking the liquid barrier wall on the wick.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein positioning includes positioning the wick between the vapor barrier wall and a liquid confining surface of the liquid barrier wall.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising orienting a subcooler adjacent the liquid barrier wall.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein orienting the subcooler includes heat shrinking the subcooler onto the liquid barrier wall.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

electroetching the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

machining the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising embedding the vapor removal channel within the wick.

28. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

forming the vapor barrier wall, and

photoetching the vapor removal channel into the vapor barrier wall.

29. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming the vapor barrier wall by rolling a vapor barrier material into a cylindrical shape and sealing mating edges of the vapor barrier material.

30. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming the liquid barrier wall by rolling a liquid barrier material into a cylindrical shape and sealing mating edges of the liquid barrier material.

31. The method of claim 18 wherein orienting the liquid barrier wall includes heat shrinking the liquid barrier wall.

32. A method of making an evaporator, the method comprising:

orienting a vapor barrier wall having a cylindrical shape and defining a longitudinal axis with respect to a liquid barrier wall having a cylindrical shape and defining a longitudinal axis, such that the longitudinal axis of the liquid barrier wall is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vapor barrier wall;

positioning a wick defining a longitudinal axis between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall such that the longitudinal axis of the wick is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the liquid barrier wall, wherein the vapor barrier wall is positioned within an interior of the liquid barrier wall and wherein positioning includes heat shrinking at least one of the wick, a combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein positioning the wick between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall includes forming the wick around the vapor barrier wall and forming the liquid barrier wall around the wick.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein positioning the wick between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall includes mechanically squeezing the wick onto the vapor barrier wall.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein positioning the wick between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall includes sintering the wick onto the vapor barrier wall.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein sintering the wick onto the vapor barrier wall includes heating the wick and the vapor barrier wall at a temperature that is below the melting point of the materials used in the wick and the vapor barrier wall.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein sintering the wick onto the vapor barrier wall includes applying pressure to the wick and to the vapor barrier wall.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein heat shrinking at least one of the wick, the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall includes:

heating the at least one of the wick, the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall, and

after heating, cooling the at least one of the wick, the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall.

39. The method of claim 32 wherein heat shrinking the at least one of the wick, the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall includes placing the at least one of the wick, the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall, and the liquid barrier wall over another piece.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein:

heat shrinking the wick includes placing the wick over the vapor barrier wall,

heat shrinking the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall includes placing the combination of the wick and the vapor barrier wall over a control block, and

heat shrinking the liquid barrier wall includes placing the liquid barrier wall over a control block.

41. The method of claim 32 further comprising orienting a subcooler adjacent the liquid barrier wall.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein orienting the subcooler includes heat shrinking the subcooler onto the liquid barrier wall.

43. A method of making an evaporator, the method comprising:

forming a wick subassembly, the forming including attaching a cylindrically-shaped wick to a cylindrically-shaped vapor barrier wall;

preparing a cylindrically-shaped liquid barrier wall; and

after the cylindrically-shaped liquid barrier wall is prepared and after the cylindrically-shaped wick subassembly is formed, joining the prepared cylindrically-shaped liquid barrier wall with the formed wick subassembly, wherein the vapor barrier wall is positioned within an interior of the liquid barrier wall.