Evaporator including a wick for use in a two-phase heat transfer system
First Claim
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1. An evaporator comprising:
- an outer enclosure;
a liquid inlet extending through the outer enclosure and fluidly coupled to an interior of the outer enclosure;
a vapor outlet extending through the outer enclosure and fluidly coupled to the interior of the outer enclosure; and
a cylindrical wick within the outer enclosure, fluidly coupled to the liquid inlet, having an axial length extending along a longitudinal axis of the wick, the wick having an radially outer side surface positioned adjacent to the outer enclosure, the wick comprising;
a plurality of circumferential grooves formed in the radially outer side surface of the wick, each groove of the plurality of circumferential grooves extending completely around a circumference of the wick in a direction that is non-parallel to the axial direction of the wick; and
a plurality of channels formed within the wick, each channel of the plurality of channels intersecting the plurality of circumferential grooves, extending along the axial direction of the wick, and being fluidly coupled to the vapor outlet, wherein an entirety of each channel of the plurality of channels is circumferentially surrounded by the wick.
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Abstract
An evaporator may include an outer enclosure and a wick within the outer enclosure. The wick may have an outer lateral side surface positioned adjacent to the outer enclosure and may comprise a plurality of circumferential grooves formed in the outer lateral side surface of the wick and a plurality of channels fluidly connected to the plurality of circumferential grooves. The evaporator may include an outer enclosure and an end cap bonded directly to the outer enclosure, contacting the wick, and having a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of the outer enclosure.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An evaporator comprising:
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an outer enclosure; a liquid inlet extending through the outer enclosure and fluidly coupled to an interior of the outer enclosure; a vapor outlet extending through the outer enclosure and fluidly coupled to the interior of the outer enclosure; and a cylindrical wick within the outer enclosure, fluidly coupled to the liquid inlet, having an axial length extending along a longitudinal axis of the wick, the wick having an radially outer side surface positioned adjacent to the outer enclosure, the wick comprising; a plurality of circumferential grooves formed in the radially outer side surface of the wick, each groove of the plurality of circumferential grooves extending completely around a circumference of the wick in a direction that is non-parallel to the axial direction of the wick; and a plurality of channels formed within the wick, each channel of the plurality of channels intersecting the plurality of circumferential grooves, extending along the axial direction of the wick, and being fluidly coupled to the vapor outlet, wherein an entirety of each channel of the plurality of channels is circumferentially surrounded by the wick. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An evaporator comprising:
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an outer enclosure; a vapor outlet extending through the outer enclosure and fluidly coupled to an interior of the outer enclosure; a wick within the outer enclosure, the wick fluidly coupled to the vapor outlet; an end cap bonded directly to the outer enclosure, contacting the wick, and having a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of the outer enclosure; and a liquid inlet fluidly coupled through the end cap to the wick. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An evaporator comprising:
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an outer shell; a vapor outlet extending through the outer shell; a liquid inlet extending through the outer shell; a wick within the outer shell, the wick fluidly coupled to the vapor outlet; a fluid pathway between the wick and the liquid inlet; and a porous structure thermally isolating the wick from the liquid inlet and filling an entirety of the fluid pathway between the wick and the liquid inlet, the porous structure having a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of the outer shell, wherein the porous structure is separated from the wick by a gap smaller than a pore size of pores within the wick. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification