Heat exchanger device and method for heat removal or transfer

• US 9,207,023 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Koplow, Jeffrey P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Tho V
• Application Number:
  US12/185,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,682 Days
• Field of Search: 165/86, 165/80.3, 165/185, 165/104.33, 361/697, 361/702, 361/703, 361/704, 361/709, 361/710, 174/16.3, 384/123, 384/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/066 Linear Motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/125 by stirring
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for a forced-convection heat exchanger are provided. In one embodiment, heat is transferred to or from a thermal load in thermal contact with a heat conducting structure, across a narrow air gap, to a rotating heat transfer structure immersed in a surrounding medium such as air.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a heat conducting base plate adaptable to be in thermal contact with a thermal load and including a first base plate surface; and

a heat transferring impeller configured to rotate during operation of the apparatus, the heat transferring impeller comprising;

a bearing surface coupled to said heat conducting base plate using a gas bearing such that a gas filled gap region forms between said first base plate surface and the bearing surface during operation of the apparatus; and

a top surface disposed opposite the bearing surface, wherein the top surface includes surface features; and

a centering mechanism configured to maintain a center axis of the heat transferring impeller coaxially aligned with a center axis of the heat conducting base plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface features comprise one or more of fins, vanes, and blades.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism adapted to rotate and/or translate said heat transferring impeller relative to said heat conducting base plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a means for adjusting dimensions of said gas filled gap region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein dimensions of said gas filled gap region are unregulated, passively regulated, actively regulated, or a suitable combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first base plate surface contacts said bearing surface when said heat transferring impeller is not rotating.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first base plate surface and the bearing surface include a lubricant coating, anti-friction coating, or both.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heat transferring impeller is immersed in a surrounding medium comprising a pure gas or a mixture of gases.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas filled gap region comprises a pure gas or a mixture of gases.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure, which enclosure includes:

an inlet port adapted to direct air received from outside of a building and/or outside the enclosure to said heat transferring impeller; and

an outlet port adapted to direct heated air from said heat transferring impeller to outside of said building and/or enclosure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted to thermal management of one or more active and/or passive electronic components, including but not limited to a resistor, capacitor, inductor, transformer, diode, rectifier, thyristor, transistor, amplifier, integrated circuit, display driver, line driver, buffer, microprocessor, central processing unit, graphics processing unit, coprocessor, transducer, sensor, actuator, power supply, ac to dc converter, dc to ac converter, dc to dc converter, ac to ac converter, or printed circuit assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted to thermal management of a building, enclosure, or apparatus containing one or more thermal loads, such as a power plant, factory, computer data center, computer server farm, commercial building, laboratory, office, public space, residential dwelling, transport vehicle, instrument or machine.

13. An apparatus comprising one or more heat exchangers selected from the group consisting of heaters, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, absorption chillers, evaporative coolers, thermal reservoirs, condensers, radiator, heat pumps, heat engines, motors, generators, and combinations thereof, wherein one or more of said heat exchangers comprise the apparatus of claim 1.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface features are forwardly swept, backwardly swept, and/or curved along the radial direction of the heat transferring impeller.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas bearing is adapted to provide substantially low friction between said first base plate surface of said heat conducting base plate and said bearing surface of said heat transferring impeller.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas bearing is a hydrodynamic gas bearing or a hydrostatic gas bearing.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas bearing comprises a hydrodynamic gas bearing, the apparatus further including one or more mechanisms adapted to reduce or eliminate mechanical contact between the first base plate surface and the bearing surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas bearing comprises a hydrostatic gas bearing, and further comprising spiral grooves or other surface features on said heat transfer structure, wherein said spiral grooves or other surface features provide a means to impart rotation to said heat transfer structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said mechanism includes at least one rotor member and one or more stator coils adapted to impart rotation to said heat transferring impeller.

20. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said heat transferring impeller is adapted to pump, circulate, and/or impart motion to said surrounding medium.

21. The apparatus of claim 3, and further comprising one or more mechanisms adapted to reverse rotation direction of said heat transferring impeller.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein reverse rotation of said heat transferring impeller is adapted to removal of foreign matter, particulates, condensation, and/or ice, from one or more surfaces said heat transferring impeller.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said centering mechanism includes a plurality of magnets disposed opposite one another along the respective center axes of the heat conducting base plate and the heat transferring impeller.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary lift mechanism configured to displace the bearing surface of the heat transferring impeller away from the first base plate surface of the heat conducting base plate.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary lift mechanism includes one or more electromagnets.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gap regulating mechanism configured to exert a force opposite a lifting force caused by rotation of the heat transferring impeller for maintaining a width of the gas filled gap region.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second surface disposed opposite to the first base plate surface of the heat conducting base plate is configured to be in direct contact with the thermal load.