High heat flux evaporator, heat transfer systems
First Claim
1. An evaporator comprising:
- an outer fluid enclosure;
a liquid inlet port coupled through the outer fluid enclosure;
a liquid-distribution structure joined to the outer fluid enclosure to form a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber, the liquid-distribution structure including a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface and being configured to distribute liquid over an inner surface of the vapor barrier wall;
a wick positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and being coupled to the liquid inlet port;
at least one vapor removal channel formed in the wick and being in fluid communication with the liquid-distribution structure, and being near the outer heat-receiving surface of the vapor barrier wall; and
a vapor header channel formed in the wick and being transverse to the at least one vapor removal channel, the at least one vapor removal channel extending from and being in communication with the vapor header channel;
wherein a thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An evaporator includes an outer fluid enclosure, a liquid inlet port extending through the outer fluid enclosure, a liquid-distribution structure, a wick, and a vapor removal channel. The liquid-distribution structure is joined to the outer fluid enclosure to form a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber. The liquid-distribution structure includes a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface and the liquid-distribution structure is configured to distribute liquid over an inner surface of the vapor barrier wall. The wick is positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and is coupled to a liquid inlet port. The vapor removal channel is defined by and is in fluid communication with the wick and the liquid-distribution structure, and is near the outer heat-receiving surface of the vapor barrier wall. A thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick.
86 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An evaporator comprising:
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an outer fluid enclosure; a liquid inlet port coupled through the outer fluid enclosure; a liquid-distribution structure joined to the outer fluid enclosure to form a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber, the liquid-distribution structure including a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface and being configured to distribute liquid over an inner surface of the vapor barrier wall; a wick positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and being coupled to the liquid inlet port; at least one vapor removal channel formed in the wick and being in fluid communication with the liquid-distribution structure, and being near the outer heat-receiving surface of the vapor barrier wall; and a vapor header channel formed in the wick and being transverse to the at least one vapor removal channel, the at least one vapor removal channel extending from and being in communication with the vapor header channel; wherein a thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An evaporator comprising:
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a liquid barrier wall; a liquid inlet port through the liquid barrier wall; a liquid-distribution structure including; a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface; and a porous device including vapor passages and pores having a size sufficient to distribute liquid and being in fluid communication with the vapor passages; and a wick positioned between the liquid barrier wall and the liquid-distribution structure and coupled to the liquid inlet port, the wick comprising; one or more vapor removal channels formed in the wick, and being in fluid communication with at least some of the vapor passages; and a vapor header channel formed in the wick and being transverse to at least one of the one or more vapor removal channels, at least one of the one or more vapor removal channels extending from and being in communication with the vapor header channel; wherein a thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An evaporator comprising:
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a liquid barrier wall; a liquid inlet port through the liquid barrier wall; a fluid outlet port through the liquid barrier wall; a liquid-distribution structure including; a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface; and microchannels along an inner surface of the vapor barrier wall; a wick positioned between the liquid barrier wall and the liquid-distribution structure and being coupled to the liquid inlet port; a sealing device positioned between the wick and the liquid barrier wall, the sealing device comprising at least one fluid channel formed in the sealing device, the at least one fluid channel being in direct fluid communication with the liquid inlet port and the fluid outlet port; and one or more vapor removal channels defined at an interface between the wick and the liquid-distribution structure, and being in fluid communication with at least some of the liquid-distribution structure microchannels; wherein a thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. An evaporator comprising:
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an outer fluid enclosure; a liquid inlet port coupled through the outer fluid enclosure; a fluid outlet port coupled through the outer fluid enclosure; a liquid-distribution structure coupled to the outer fluid enclosure to define a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and including a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface, the liquid-distribution structure being configured to distribute liquid over the vapor barrier wall; a wick positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and being coupled to the liquid inlet port; a sealing device positioned between the wick and the liquid barrier wall, the sealing device comprising at least one fluid channel formed in the sealing device, the at least one fluid channel being in direct fluid communication with the liquid inlet port and the fluid outlet port; and a vapor removal channel formed in the wick and being in fluid communication with the liquid-distribution structure, and being in direct fluid communication with an evaporation interface defined between the liquid-distribution structure and the wick.
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40. An evaporator comprising:
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a liquid barrier wall; a liquid inlet port coupled through the liquid barrier wall; a vapor barrier wall extending along a vapor barrier plane; a wick positioned between the liquid barrier wall and the vapor barrier wall, the wick coupled to the liquid inlet port; a liquid flow channel located between the liquid barrier wall and the wick, the liquid flow channel fluidly coupled to the liquid inlet port; at least one vapor removal channel that is located at an interface region between the wick and the vapor barrier wall and that extends along the vapor barrier plane in a first direction; a vapor header channel that is located at the interface region between the wick and the vapor barrier wall, the vapor header channel extending along the vapor barrier plane, being in direct fluid communication with the at least one vapor removal channel, and being transverse to the first vapor removal channel; and a vapor outlet port in direct fluid communication with the vapor header channel.
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41. A heat transfer system comprising:
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an evaporator comprising; an outer fluid enclosure; a liquid inlet port coupled through the outer fluid enclosure; a liquid-distribution structure coupled to the outer fluid enclosure to define a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber, the liquid-distribution structure comprising; a planar vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface and an inner surface; and a plurality of channels coupled to the vapor barrier wall and configured to distribute liquid over the inner surface of the vapor barrier wall; a planar wick positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and being coupled to the liquid inlet port;
a sealing device positioned adjacent to the planar wick, the sealing device comprising at least one fluid channel formed in the sealing device, the at least one fluid channel being in direct fluid communication with the liquid inlet port; anda vapor removal channel formed in a side of the wick in contact with the liquid-distribution structure and being in fluid communication with the liquid-distribution structure, and being in direct fluid communication with an evaporation interface defined between the liquid-distribution structure and the vapor barrier wall; a condenser including a vapor inlet and a liquid outlet; a vapor line providing fluid communication between the vapor removal channel of the evaporator and the vapor inlet of the condenser; and a liquid line providing fluid communication between the liquid inlet port of the evaporator and the liquid outlet of the condenser. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification