Micro-channel pulsating heat pipe

• US 8,919,426 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Peregrine Falcon Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Peregrine Falcon Corporation
• Inventors: Hardesty, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US11/876,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,626 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104.21, 165/104.26, 165/104.29, 165/104.33
• US Class Current: 165/104.21
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/035 with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits F28D1/0341 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• 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: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/10 Particular layout, e.g. for uniform temperature distribution

Abstract

A heat pipe device and a corresponding method in which micro-channel embedded pulsating heat pipes are incorporated into a substrate. A volume of fluid in a vacuum is introduced into a micro-channel which will become slugs of liquid. Heating of the contents of the micro-channel at an evaporator region (heat source) will cause vaporization within the micro-channel and cooling at a heat sink will cause condensation within the micro-channel, acting to both drive fluid flow within the micro-channel and efficiently transfer heat. Such devices could be used in a number of different configurations, including one as a stacked set of micro-channel embedded substrates.

Claims

1. A micro-channel embedded heat pipe comprising:

a first sheet having a first serpentine trace pattern;

a second sheet bonded onto said first sheet, said second sheet having a second serpentine trace pattern substantially matching said first serpentine trace pattern such that when said first sheet and said second sheet are bonded together to form a bonded sheet, a wire-free serpentine micro-channel is formed in said bonded sheet; and

at least one fill tube on at least one edge of the bonded sheet, allowing introduction of a fluid into said wire-free serpentine micro-channel;

wherein said wire-free serpentine micro-channel has a first end region having an evaporator region and has an opposed second end region having a condenser region.

2. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, further including:

a liquid, contained within said wire-free serpentine micro-channel and partially filling said wire-free serpentine micro-channel; and

said wire-free serpentine micro-channel having a portion that is evacuated to at least a partial vacuum.

3. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, wherein said wire-free serpentine micro-channel has said evaporator region and said condenser region each including a respective plurality of bends of said wire-free serpentine micro-channel.

4. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 1, further comprising a working fluid introduced into said wire-free serpentine micro-channel, wherein said wire-free serpentine micro-channel spanning between said condenser region and said evaporator region is sealed after partially filling said wire-free serpentine micro-channel with said working fluid wherein no active fluid driver is in fluid communication with said working fluid.

5. A micro-channel embedded heat pipe comprising:

a planar substrate;

a wire-free serpentine micro-channel embedded within said planar substrate;

a working fluid that partially fills said wire-free serpentine micro-channel;

at least one evaporation region, on said planar substrate, the at least one evaporation region including a plurality of bends of said wire-free serpentine micro-channel; and

at least one condensation region on said planar substrate.

6. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of stacked planar substrates, including said planar substrate, each of said planar substrates having a respective serpentine micro-channel embedded therewithin;

said at least one evaporation region being included on said plurality of stacked planar substrates; and

said at least one condensation region being included on said plurality of stacked planar substrates.

7. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein at least one evaporation transfer region includes a plurality of evaporation thermal transfer regions.

8. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein at least one condensation transfer region includes a plurality of condensation thermal transfer regions.

9. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said planar substrate is incorporated into a structural element.

10. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein the serpentine channels may vary in diameter size allowing the regulation of flow.

11. The micro-channel embedded heat pipe of claim 5, further comprising a fill tube, wherein:

said wire-free serpentine micro-channel embedded within said planar substrate has said working fluid introduced by said fill tube positioned to allow said working fluid to be introduced into said wire-free serpentine micro-channel to partially fill said wire-free serpentine micro-channel; and

an unfilled region of said wire-free serpentine micro-channel is evacuated to a vacuum.

12. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said planar substrate includes two metallurgically joined sheets of material.

13. The micro-channel embedded heat pump of claim 5, wherein said micro-channel includes a first plurality of micro-channel sections having a relatively larger cross-sectional area, and a second plurality of micro-channel sections having relatively small cross-sectional areas.