System and method for maintaining efficiency of a fractal heat sink
First Claim
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1. A heatsink system comprising:
- a base structure configured to interface with a heat source, comprising a non-shear-force transmissive copper wire bundle;
a heat exchange device configured to receive heat from the base structure, and having a plurality of heat exchange elements and a heat exchange surface, the heat exchange surface being configured to emit heat into an external surrounding heat exchange medium, the heat exchange surface being subject to accumulation of particles; and
at least one device configured to reduce an accumulation of particles on the heat exchange surface, selected from the group consisting of at least one of;
a flow-inducing device configured to induce a flow of the heat exchange medium over the heat exchange surface, the induced flow of the heat exchange medium having a spatial turbulence pattern that changes over time;
a particle-dislodging device configured to mechanically disrupt an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements; and
a particle degrading device configured to induce a chemical modification of an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements.
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Abstract
A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions having varying size scales. According to one embodiment, an accumulation of dust or particles on a surface of the heatsink is reduced by a removal mechanism. The mechanism can be thermal pyrolysis, vibration, blowing, etc. In the case of vibration, adverse effects on the system to be cooled may be minimized by an active or passive vibration suppression system.
413 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A heatsink system comprising:
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a base structure configured to interface with a heat source, comprising a non-shear-force transmissive copper wire bundle; a heat exchange device configured to receive heat from the base structure, and having a plurality of heat exchange elements and a heat exchange surface, the heat exchange surface being configured to emit heat into an external surrounding heat exchange medium, the heat exchange surface being subject to accumulation of particles; and at least one device configured to reduce an accumulation of particles on the heat exchange surface, selected from the group consisting of at least one of; a flow-inducing device configured to induce a flow of the heat exchange medium over the heat exchange surface, the induced flow of the heat exchange medium having a spatial turbulence pattern that changes over time; a particle-dislodging device configured to mechanically disrupt an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements; and a particle degrading device configured to induce a chemical modification of an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A heat transfer device, comprising:
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a base structure comprising a non-shear force transmissive, heat-transmissive wire bundle configured to interface with a heat source, damp vibrations communicated to the heat source, and receive heat from the heat source; a heat exchange device configured to emit the received heat from a heat exchange surface, into an external surrounding heat exchange medium; and at least one particle dislodging device, configured to produce a dynamically changing force on particles deposited on the heat exchange surface from the heat exchange medium having a force component adapted to reduce an accumulation of the deposited particles from the heat exchange surface while the base structure receives heat from the base and the heat exchange device emits heat into the heat exchange medium.
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20. A fractal heat exchange device, comprising:
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a base structure configured to interface with a heat source comprising a non-shear-force transmissive, heat conductive wire bundle; a plurality of multiscale heat exchange elements attached to the base structure and being configured to receive heat from the base structure and emit the heat into an external surrounding heat transfer medium by radiation and convection; and at least one of; at least one of a fan and a compressor, configured to induce a time-varying flow of the heat transfer medium over the plurality of heat exchange elements, wherein at least portions of the time varying flow of the heat transfer medium over the plurality of heat exchange elements are turbulent, the time-varying flow of the heat transfer medium having a spatial turbulence pattern that changes over time; a particle-dislodging device configured to mechanically disrupt an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements; and a particle degrading device configured to induce a chemical modification of an accumulation of particles on the plurality of heat exchange elements. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification