CAPILLARY DEVICE FOR USE IN HEAT PIPE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH CAPILLARY DEVICE
A capillary device (102) for use in a heat pipe in which heat is transferred from at least one evaporation region to at least one condensation region by means of evaporated working fluid is disclosed. The capillary device comprises a body portion defining chambers (108) containing powdered material (110) therein, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid, by means of capillary action, through said powdered material in said chamber when flowing from a condensation region to an evaporation region.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/254,684, filed Jan. 23, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/119,814, filed Mar. 14, 2014, which is a 371 of international PCT/EP2012/059681, filed May 24, 2012, which claims priority to EP 11167303.4, filed May 24, 2011, issued as EP2715265, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a device for use in a heat exchange apparatus and to a method of manufacturing such a device. The invention also relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a capillary device for use in a heat pipe.
Heat pipes are devices in which heat is rapidly removed from a first region by means of evaporation of working fluid, and subsequently released at a second location by means of condensation of the working fluid.
A conventional loop heat pipe is shown in
During operation of the heat pipe 2, heat in the vicinity of the evaporator 4, for example generated by electronics operating in a confined space, travels in the direction of arrows A to cause evaporation of the working fluid in the capillary structure 16. The evaporated working fluid then passes along vapour passage 10 and outlet 12 to the condenser 14 where heat can be more easily removed in the direction of arrows B and condensed working fluid is returned via inlet 6 and compensation chamber 8 to fill the gap 18 surrounding the inlet 6. Condensed working fluid is then transferred from the gap 18 to the vapour passage 10 through the capillary structure 16 by means of capillary action. The capillary structure 16 of the heat pipe 2 is manufactured by sintering of fine metal powder and subsequent machining to form the flow passages.
This arrangement suffers from the drawback that the sintering technique can only be carried out on a limited range of materials, and the complexity of possible shapes and dimensions of flow channels is limited by the machining technique.
A conventional axially grooved heat pipe 16 is shown in
Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome one or more of the above disadvantages of the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a capillary device for use in a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from at least one first region to at least one second region by means of working fluid, the capillary device comprising a body portion defining at least one chamber containing unmelted powdered material therein, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid through said unmelted powdered material in said chamber by means of capillary action.
By providing at least one chamber containing unmelted powdered material therein, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid through said unmelted powdered material in said chamber, this provides the advantage in the case of a heat pipe using capillary action to transport condensed working fluid, of increasing fluid transfer by means of capillary action, while minimising thermal conduction into the powdered material of the chamber, which in turn minimises the effect of parasitic heating of the working fluid passing through the powdered material. This in turn improves the cooling performance of a heat pipe incorporating the device.
The capillary device may be adapted to be used in a heat pipe in which heat is transferred from at least one evaporation region to at least one condensation region by means of evaporated working fluid, and at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber may be porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid, by means of capillary action, through said unmelted powdered material in said chamber when flowing from a condensation region to an evaporation region.
At least a portion of said body portion in the vicinity of an evaporation region may have a porosity different from a porosity of at least a portion of said body portion remote from said evaporation region.
This provides the advantage of enabling the capillary action to be tailored to the various parts of the device and fluid flow to thereby be maximised.
The body portion may surround an elongate channel and at least one said chamber may be located between at least part of said channel and an evaporation region in use.
This provides the advantage of enhancing capillary action and thereby increasing fluid flow, thereby enabling the apparatus to be used when subject to gravity.
A plurality of said chambers may be spaced apart around the periphery of, and protruding into, said channel.
The capillary device may further comprise at least one vapour flow passage in said body portion for allowing flow of evaporated working fluid from an evaporation region to a condensation region.
At least part of the periphery of at least one said vapour flow passage may be porous.
Said body portion may comprise at least one support portion adapted to resist compressive forces applied to the capillary device, wherein at least part of at least one said support portion is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid therethrough.
By providing at least one support portion which can contribute to the capillary action, this provides the advantage of reducing the weight of the capillary device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat transfer apparatus comprising at least one capillary device as defined above.
At least one said capillary device may be connected to a plurality of condenser devices.
This provides the advantage of enabling a capillary device to be constructed by means of selective melting of powdered material to thereby enable a wider range of dimensions and properties of capillary structure to be provided, while enabling condenser devices manufactured according to simpler techniques such as extrusion to be used.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a body portion of a capillary device for use in a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from at least one first region to at least one second region by means of working fluid, the method comprising forming successive layers of said body portion by means of selective melting of powdered material by means of an energetic beam, such that at least part of said body portion is porous to enable flow of condensed working fluid therethrough.
By forming successive layers of said body portion by means of selective melting of powdered material by means of an energetic beam, this provides the advantage of enabling a wider range of shapes of device to be constructed, and a wider range of materials to be used. This is particularly advantageous in the case of heat pipes which use capillary action to transfer condensed working fluid from a condensation region to an evaporation region. For example, the method of the present invention enables body portions of complex shapes having voids or hollow portions to save weight to be provided.
The selective melting of powdered material may provide melted powdered material and unmelted powdered material, and said body portion may define at least one chamber containing unmelted powdered material therein, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous.
The powdered material encapsulated in at least one said chamber may be the same material as the powdered material from which the successive layers are formed.
This provides the advantage of increasing the ease and speed of manufacture of the capillary device.
The method may be a method of manufacturing a capillary device adapted to be used in a heat pipe in which heat is transferred from at least one evaporation region to at least one condensation region by means of evaporated working fluid, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid, by means of capillary action, through said powdered material in said chamber when flowing from a condensation region to an evaporation region.
The body portion may define at least one chamber, and the method may further comprise encapsulating powdered material in at least one said chamber to allow flow of condensed working fluid, by means of capillary action, through said powdered material in said chamber when flowing from a condensation region to an evaporation region.
The method may further comprise directing at least one stream of powdered material to a location at which said powdered material is melted by means of the energetic beam.
This provides the advantage of increasing the range of locations at which the device can be used.
At least one said stream of said powdered material may be constrained in a stream of inert gas.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The formation of the heat pipe 202 of
As shown in greater detail in
Referring to
Referring to
In operation, one end of the capillary device 240 is placed in contact with a heat source, and the other end is placed in contact with cooling means to form a condenser. The heat source causes the working fluid to evaporate, and evaporated working fluid travels along the central channel 250 to the condenser. Condensed working fluid travels along the axial gaps 252 between protrusions 248, and is drawn through the porous protrusions 248 by capillary action at the hot end of the heat pipe to maintain the flow of condensed working fluid to the evaporator. The porous protrusions 248 and gaps 252 cooperate to enhance the capillary action to the extent that the capillary action can overcome the effects of gravity.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
A heat transfer apparatus 700 of a further embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Referring to
In operation, the evaporation device 802 cooperates with the compensation chamber 806 such that the central bore 822 of the evaporation device 802 is filled with condensed working fluid which passes into the capillary structure 810 and unmelted metallic powder 820 within the chamber 818 by means of capillary action. When the evaporation chamber 802 is brought into contact with a source of heat (not shown), working fluid evaporates from the radially outer parts of the capillary structure 810 and passes into the vapour flow network 812 and out of the fluid vapour escape hole 816 into condensation loop 804 where it is condensed by means of cooling at a location separated from the heat source. Condensed working fluid then passes into the end of the compensation chamber 806 remote from the evaporation chamber 802.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, as an alternative to a selective laser melting process, electron beam melting may be used. In addition, as an alternative to selective melting of a layer of powdered material, a stream of powdered material may be directed by means of inert gas to the location at which the powdered material is melted by the energy beam. This enables a wider range of applications of the process to be used. Furthermore, in addition to aluminium, other powdered materials such as metals, metal alloys or polymer materials may be used.
Claims
1. A heat transfer pipe in which heat is transferred from an evaporation region to a condensation region by means of working fluid, the heat transfer pipe comprising:
- a body portion defining a central channel, the central channel extending between and in fluid communication with the evaporation region and the condensation region; and
- a capillary structure within the body portion and surrounding the central channel, wherein the capillary structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart porous protrusions extending radially into the central channel with each protrusion separated from an adjacent protrusion by a gap therebetween;
- wherein the heat transfer pipe includes successive layers of metal powder that are located over a donor material and have been melted by an energetic beam, wherein the successive layers at least partially define the plurality of porous protrusions.
2. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 1, wherein each porous protrusion of the plurality of porous protrusions includes a hollow interior and contains unfused metal powder within the hollow interior.
3. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 2, wherein the successive, melted layers of metal powder at least partially define the hollow interiors.
4. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 2, wherein the unfused metal powder is aluminum.
5. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is formed from aluminum.
7. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 1, wherein each of the gaps extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the central channel.
8. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 1, further comprising lattice capillary structures positioned in the gaps between the porous protrusions, wherein each of the capillary lattice structures extends longitudinally along a length of the heat transfer pipe between the evaporation region and the condensation region.
9. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 8, wherein the lattice capillary structures do not extend to the evaporation region.
10. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 8, wherein the lattice capillary structures are formed from a plurality of pores which increase in size along lengths of the lattice capillary structures from the condensation region to the evaporation region.
11. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 1, wherein the successive layers at least partially define the body portion.
12. A heat transfer pipe in which heat is transferred from an evaporation region to a condensation region by means of working fluid, the heat transfer pipe comprising:
- a solid outer body portion;
- a porous capillary structure within the outer body portion extending between and in fluid communication with the evaporation region and the condensation region; and
- a plurality of vapor flow channels embedded in the capillary structure and extending between and in fluid communication with the evaporation region and the condensation region.
13. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of vapor flow channels is spaced circumferentially around an interior region of the porous structure.
14. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 12, wherein the heat transfer pipe includes successive layers of metal powder that are located over a donor material and have been melted by an energetic beam, wherein the successive layers at least partially define the porous capillary portion and the vapor flow channels.
15. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 12, further comprising a fluid flow passage formed in the center of the porous capillary structure and extending between and in fluid communication with the evaporation region and the condensation region.
16. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 15, further comprising a region of powder metal between the porous capillary structure and the fluid flow passage.
17. A heat transfer pipe in which heat is transferred from an inlet chamber to an outlet chamber by means of working fluid, the heat pipe comprising:
- an outer body portion; and
- a porous capillary structure positioned within the outer body portion between and in fluid communication with the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber, wherein the porous capillary structure has a porous rigid outer wall and contains unfused powder material.
18. A heat transfer pipe according to claim 17, wherein the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber are divided by the porous capillary structure.
19. A heat transfer apparatus comprising:
- an evaporation chamber; and
- a condensation chamber in fluid communication with the evaporation chamber, wherein heat is transferred from the evaporation chamber to the condensation region by means of working fluid,
- wherein the evaporation chamber includes an outer cylindrical body that defines an interior volume, a porous capillary structure positioned within the interior volume adjacent an interior surface of the outer cylindrical body, wherein the porous capillary structure defines an interior annular chamber enclosing a layer of unfused metal powder, an elongate escape channel positioned between the interior surface of the outer cylindrical body and the interior annular chamber, wherein the elongate escape channel extends from an interior of the porous capillary structure to a first opening in the porous capillary structure, wherein the first opening is in fluid communication with the interior volume and is formed at an end face of the porous capillary structure, a plurality of spaced-apart circumferential vapor channels interconnected by the elongate escape channel, and a central bore surrounded by the interior annular chamber, wherein the central bore extends between the end face and a second opening of the porous capillary structure to the interior volume, wherein the second opening is in fluid communication with the interior volume and positioned opposite the end face.
20. A heat transfer apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the evaporation chamber and the condensation chamber are in the form of a loop heat pipe.
21. A heat transfer pipe comprising:
- an evaporation region;
- a condensation region;
- a body portion extending between and in fluid communication with the evaporation region and the condensation region; and
- a capillary structure configured to direct working fluid between the evaporation region and the condensation region;
- wherein the capillary structure includes successive layers of metal powder that have each been melted by an energetic beam to be secured to one or more other layers of the successive layers.
22. The heat transfer pipe of claim 21, wherein the condensation region includes a condenser plate, wherein the condenser plate defines a donor material, wherein the successive layers of metal powder include a first, melted layer of metal powder disposed on the donor material and a second, melted layer of metal powder disposed on the first layer of metal powder.
23. The heat transfer pipe of claim 22, wherein the first, melted layer of metal powder and the second, melted layer of metal powder define a rigid, porous structure that defines a portion of the capillary structure.
24. The heat transfer pipe of claim 23, wherein the capillary structure extends along an interior surface of the body portion.
25. The heat transfer pipe of claim 22, wherein the condenser plate is an aluminum plate, wherein the first, melted layer of metal powder is aluminum powder, and wherein the second, melted layer of metal powder is aluminum powder.
26. The heat transfer pipe of claim 21, wherein the evaporation region includes an evaporator plate, wherein the evaporator plate defines a donor material, wherein the successive layers of metal powder include a first, melted layer of metal powder disposed on the donor material and a second, melted layer of metal powder disposed on the first layer of metal powder.
27. The heat transfer pipe of claim 26, wherein the first, melted layer of metal powder and the second, melted layer of metal powder define a portion of the body portion.
28. The heat transfer pipe of claim 27, wherein the successive layers of metal powder further include additional layers of melted, metal powder that define the capillary structure, wherein the capillary structure is disposed within the body portion.
29. The heat transfer pipe of claim 28, wherein the capillary structure includes rigid, porous protrusions.
30. The heat transfer pipe of claim 21, wherein the body portion also includes successive layers of metal powder that have each been melted by an energetic beam to be secured to one or more other layers of the successive layers of the body portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 8, 2021
Publication Date: Apr 28, 2022
Inventors: Ryan James McGlen (Northumberland), John Gilbert Thayer (Lancaster, PA)
Application Number: 17/521,273