Heat exchange assembly and methods of assembling same

• US 8,811,014 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Platforms, LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Chauhan, Shakti Singh, Weaver, Stanton Earl Jr., Deng, Tao, Eastman, Christopher Michael, Zhang, Wenwu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US13/340,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/700
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

A heat exchange assembly for use in cooling an electrical component is described herein. The heat assembly includes a casing that includes an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a transport section extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section along a longitudinal axis. The casing is configured to bend along a bending axis oriented with respect to the transport section. The casing also includes at least one sidewall that includes at least one fluid chamber extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section to channel a working fluid between the evaporator section and the condenser section. A plurality of fluid channels are defined within the inner surface to channel liquid fluid from the condenser section to the evaporator section. At least one vapor channel is defined within the inner surface to channel gaseous fluid from the evaporator section to the condenser section.

Claims

1. A heat exchange assembly for use in cooling an electrical component, said heat exchange assembly comprising:

a sealed casing comprising an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a transport section extending between said evaporator section and said condenser section along a longitudinal axis, said casing configured to bend along a bending axis oriented with respect to said transport section, said casing comprising;

at least one sidewall comprising an inner surface defining at least one fluid chamber extending between said evaporator section and said condenser section to channel a working fluid between said evaporator section and said condenser section; and

a plurality of fluid channels defined within said inner surface to channel liquid fluid from said condenser section to said evaporator section; and

at least one vapor channel defined within said inner surface to channel gaseous fluid from said evaporator section to said condenser section,

wherein each fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels comprises a first side surface and a second side surface, each first side surface and said second side surface extends between a base portion and an end portion oriented adjacent said sidewall inner surface such that said fluid channel includes a depth measured between said base portion and said upper ends, and

wherein at least one fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels has a first depth within said transport section, and a second depth within said evaporator section that is different than said first depth.

2. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one vapor channel is coupled to said plurality of fluid channels such that a liquid-gas interface region is defined between said at least one vapor channel and said plurality of fluid channels, said liquid-gas interface region extends from said condenser section to said evaporator section.

3. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjacent said end portions are axially-spaced such that said fluid channel includes a width measured between adjacent said end portions.

4. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels has a first width within said transport section, and a second width within said evaporation section that is different than said first section.

5. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein each fluid channel is axially-spaced along a transverse axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, said heat exchange assembly comprises a plurality of planar regions, each planar region of said plurality of planar regions oriented between adjacent fluid channels and comprising a hydrophobic region, said each fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels comprising a hydrophilic region.

6. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a hydrophobic coating applied across at least a portion of at least one planar region of said plurality of planar regions to form said hydrophobic region.

7. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said working fluid includes a first working fluid and a second working fluid, wherein the first working fluid includes a first vapor pressure value, the second working fluid includes a second vapor pressure that is different from the first vapor pressure.

8. A heat exchange assembly for use in cooling an electrical device, the device including a housing and an electrical component positioned within the housing, said heat exchange assembly comprising:

a casing comprising an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a transport section extending between said evaporator section and said condenser section along a longitudinal axis, said casing configured to bend along a bending axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, said casing comprising;

a first sidewall comprising an inner surface;

a second sidewall coupled to said first sidewall such that at least one fluid chamber is defined therebetween; and

a plurality of fluid channels coupled to said first sidewall inner surface to channel working fluid between said condenser section and said evaporator section,

wherein each fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels comprises a first side surface and a second side surface, each first side surface and said second side surface extends between a base portion and an end portion oriented adjacent said sidewall inner surface such that said fluid channel includes a depth measured between said base portion and said upper ends, and

wherein at least one fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels has a first depth within said transport section, and a second depth within said evaporator section that is different than said first depth.

9. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 8, further comprising at least one vapor channel coupled to said second sidewall.

10. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein said at least one vapor channel is coupled to said plurality of fluid channels such that a liquid-gas interface region is defined between said at least one vapor channel and said plurality of fluid channels, said liquid-gas interface region extends from said condenser section to said evaporator section.

11. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein said vapor channel comprises a first side and a second side, each said first side and said second side extends between a base end and an upper end oriented adjacent said sidewall inner surface, adjacent said upper ends are axially spaced such that said vapor channel comprises a width measured between adjacent said upper ends and extends across each fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels.

12. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a plurality of fluid chambers extending between said condenser section and said evaporator section, each fluid chamber of said plurality of fluid chambers includes a plurality of fluid channels defined therein.

13. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein adjacent fluid channels of said plurality of fluid channels are axially-spaced to define a plurality of hydrophobic regions between each said fluid channel, at least one hydrophobic region of said plurality of hydrophobic regions includes a hydrophobic coating applied across at least a portion of said sidewall inner surface.

14. A heat exchange assembly in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a plurality of support assemblies coupled between first sidewall and second sidewall.

15. A method of assembling a heat exchange assembly, said method comprising:

providing a first sidewall including an inner surface;

providing a second sidewall including an inner surface;

defining a plurality of fluid channels within the inner surface of the first sidewall; and

coupling the first sidewall to the second sidewall such that at least one fluid chamber is defined therebetween, the fluid chamber includes an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a transport section extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section, wherein each fluid channel of the plurality of fluid channels extends between the condenser section and the evaporator section,

wherein each fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels comprises a first side surface and a second side surface, each first side surface and said second side surface extends between a base portion and an end portion oriented adjacent said sidewall inner surface such that said fluid channel includes a depth measured between said base portion and said upper ends, and

wherein at least one fluid channel of said plurality of fluid channels has a first depth within said transport section, and a second depth within said evaporator section that is different than said first depth.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

forming the first and second sidewalls with a flexible substrate material; and

coupling the first sidewall to the second sidewall such that the heat exchange assembly is configured to bend about a bending axis.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

defining a vapor channel within the second sidewall inner surface; and

coupling the first sidewall to the second sidewall such that the vapor channel is coupled to the plurality of fluid channels to define a liquid-gas interface region from the condenser section to the evaporator section.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

forming the first sidewall including a hydrophilic substrate material;

applying a hydrophilic coating across the first sidewall hydrophilic substrate material; and

removing at least a portion of the hydrophilic coating to form the plurality of fluid channels.