Transparent heat exchanger

• US 11,092,392 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Issued: 08/17/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Koontz, Christopher R., Filgas, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Attey, Joel M
• Application Number:
  US16/504,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 165185
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/00 Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials coatings for modifying heat-transfer F28F13/18; coatings for preventing the formation of deposits or corrosion F28F19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/006 of glass
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/02 of carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/04 of ceramic; of concrete; of natural stone
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/081 Heat exchange elements made from metals or metal alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/00 Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes
• 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: F28F 3/04 the means being integral with the element
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1815 with cooling or heating systems cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0401 of optical elements being part of laser resonator, e.g. windows, mirrors, lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0405 Conductive cooling, e.g. by heat sinks or thermo-electric elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0407 Liquid cooling, e.g. by water
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2308 Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02423 Liquid cooling, e.g. a liquid cools a mount of the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02438 Characterized by cooling of elements other than the laser chip, e.g. an optical element being part of an external cavity or a collimating lens
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02476 Heat spreaders, i.e. improving heat flow between laser chip and heat dissipating elements

Abstract

In one aspect, a transparent heat exchanger includes a first transparent substrate optically attached to a heat source, one or more fins to transfer heat from the heat source, the one or more fins comprising transparent material and further comprising one of a manifold coupled to the first transparent substrate or a facesheet coupled to the first transparent material.

Claims

1. An optical window comprising:

a first transparent substrate; and

a second transparent substrate optically bounded to the first transparent substrate and comprising one or more fins and comprising fluid channels, wherein the fluid channels are configured to supply coolant to the one or more fins and to return coolant from the one or more fins;

at least one thermal optical interface bonding the first transparent substrate to the second transparent substrate; and

wherein the first transparent substrate is separated from the second transparent substrate by a gap is filled with one of a vacuum, air, or a void.

2. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the optical window is configured to pass visible light and/or infrared light through the first transparent substrate and through the second transparent substrate.

3. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the first transparent substrate comprises at least one of indium phosphate, silicon, silicon carbide, fused silica, sapphire or diamond.

4. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the second transparent substrate comprises at least one of indium phosphate, silicon, silicon carbide, fused silica, sapphire or diamond.

5. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate form a heat exchanger assembly and seal the fluid channels at edges defined by the one or more fins,

wherein the optical window is configured to have electromagnetic radiation pass through.

6. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal optical interface comprises a first thermal optical interface and a second thermal optical interface, wherein the gap includes a first end and a second end,

wherein the first thermal optical interface is at the first end of the gap and the second thermal optical interface is at the second end of the gap.

7. The optical window of claim 2, wherein the first transparent substrate is configured to receive the visible light and/or the infrared light before the second transparent substrate.

8. The optical window of claim 2, wherein the second transparent substrate is configured to receive the visible light and/or the infrared light before the first transparent substrate.

9. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the first transparent substrate comprises one or more fins and comprises fluid channels, wherein the fluid channels of the first transparent substrate are configured to supply coolant to the one or more fins of the first transparent substrate and to return coolant from the one or more fins of the first transparent substrate.

10. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the fluid channels extend into the at least one thermal optical interface.

11. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the fluid channels are separated from each other by a thermal optical interface.

12. The optical window of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal optical interface forms an edge of at least one fluid channel.

13. The optical window of claim 1, further comprising a first side thermal optical interface,

wherein the first transparent substrate has a first side, a second side orthogonal to the first side and a third side opposite the first side,

wherein the second transparent substrate has a first side, a second side orthogonal to the first side and a third side opposite the first side,

wherein the at least one thermal optical interface bonds the second side of the first transparent substrate to the second side of the second transparent substrate,

wherein the first side thermal optical interface is bonded to the first sides of the first and second transparent substrates.

14. The optical window of claim 13, further comprising a second side thermal optical interface,

wherein the second side thermal optical interface is bonded to the third sides of the first and second transparent substrates.

15. The optical window of claim 14, wherein the second side thermal optical interface forms an edge of a fluid channel.

16. The optical window of claim 13, wherein the first side thermal optical interface forms an edge of a fluid channel.