Method and apparatus for thermal management of a radio frequency system
First Claim
1. An integrated panel array assembly (IPAA) comprising:
- (a) an active panel having first and second opposing surfaces, said active panel having a length and a width;
(b) a plurality of active circuits mounted as flip chip circuits on the second surface of said an active panel;
(c) a thermal management system, said thermal management system having a length which is no greater than the length of said active panel and having a width which is no greater than the width of said active panel, said thermal management system comprising;
(1) a heat sink having first and second opposing surfaces with the first surface of said heat sink disposed on and in thermal contact with said the flip chip circuits;
(2) a supply air distribution duct disposed over the second surface of said heat sink;
(3) a fan disposed over said supply air distribution duct, said fan configured to direct air through said supply air distribution duct and toward the second surface of said heat sink;
(4) a return air duct assembly in fluid communication with said supply air distribution duct; and
(5) an exit air ducting segment in fluid communication with said return air duct assembly.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal management system includes an air duct assembly comprising a supply air duct having an air inlet opening, a return air duct having an air exit opening and a plurality of distribution air ducts configured to be in fluid communication with the air inlet opening of the supply air duct and with the air exit opening of the return air duct. A fan is disposed within the air duct assembly to direct air from the air inlet opening of the supply air duct through the supply air duct and out the air exit opening of the return air duct. The fan and supply duct are disposed to direct air over a first surface of a heat sink. A second opposing surface of the heat sink is disposed over and configured to be in thermal contact with a plurality of active circuits disposed on a first surface of a radio frequency (RF) multi-layer printing wiring board (PWB).
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An integrated panel array assembly (IPAA) comprising:
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(a) an active panel having first and second opposing surfaces, said active panel having a length and a width; (b) a plurality of active circuits mounted as flip chip circuits on the second surface of said an active panel; (c) a thermal management system, said thermal management system having a length which is no greater than the length of said active panel and having a width which is no greater than the width of said active panel, said thermal management system comprising; (1) a heat sink having first and second opposing surfaces with the first surface of said heat sink disposed on and in thermal contact with said the flip chip circuits; (2) a supply air distribution duct disposed over the second surface of said heat sink; (3) a fan disposed over said supply air distribution duct, said fan configured to direct air through said supply air distribution duct and toward the second surface of said heat sink; (4) a return air duct assembly in fluid communication with said supply air distribution duct; and (5) an exit air ducting segment in fluid communication with said return air duct assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15)
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8. A phased array comprising:
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an antenna panel having a plurality of antenna elements disposed on a first surface thereof and having a second opposing surface; a plurality of integrated panel array assemblies (IPAAs), each of said IPAAs having an integrated thermal management system and each of said IPAAs having an RF signal distribution circuit, a power signal distribution circuit and a logic signal distribution circuit; a mechanical frame; an air-manifold system mechanically coupled to said mechanical frame and in fluid communication with each of said plurality of integrated panel array assemblies (IPAAs). - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A thermal management system comprising:
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(a) an air duct assembly comprising; a supply air duct having an air inlet opening; a return air duct having an air exit opening; and a plurality of distribution air ducts configured to be in fluid communication with the air inlet opening of the supply air duct and configured to be in communication with the air exit opening of the return air duct; (c) a heat sink having a first surface configured to contact a plurality of heat generating elements and a second surface having heat spreading elements projecting therefrom; (b) a fan disposed within the air duct assembly to direct air from the air inlet opening of the supply air duct through the supply air duct and out the air exit opening of the return air duct wherein said fan and supply duct are disposed to direct air over the heat spreading elements projecting from the second surface of said heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
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an active panel which is thin and generally planar and which has a plurality of active circuits mounted on a first surface thereof as flip chip circuits; an antenna panel which is disposed on second, opposite surface of said active panel, and which includes a plurality of antenna elements that are each electrically coupled to said active panel; and a thermal management system which is coupled to said active panel on a side thereof opposite from said antenna section and which is directly thermally coupled to said active circuits. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of operating an antenna system which includes a thin and generally planar antenna panel having first and second opposing surface and having a plurality of antenna elements disposed to emit and receive radio frequency signals through a first one of the first and second surfaces and a plurality of active panels electrically coupled to the antenna panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting electrical signals between each of the plurality of active panels and the antenna panel; and transferring, via a thermal management system, heat emitted by the active circuits on each of the plurality of active panels such that each thermal management system cools a portion of the antenna system such that cooling the antenna system is accomplished via a distributed air cooling process to cool the active panel. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification