HEAT TRANSFER DEVICE WITH FUNCTIONS OF POWER GENERATION

Abstract

Provided is a heat transfer device which has a function of generating power through vibration of capillary grooves having a thin piezoelectric film deposited thereon, in addition to a heat transfer function of discharging heat transferred from a heating element to the outside.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat transfer device capable of generating power, and more specifically, to a heat transfer device which not only has a heat transfer function of discharging heat transferred from a heating element to the outside, but also has a function of generating power through vibration of capillary grooves having a piezoelectric thin film deposited thereon.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, as computers and various electronic apparatuses are becoming reduced in size, the internal structure thereof is being compactly integrated. Therefore, the temperature of semiconductor chips may increase due to heat generated from the inside of the electronic apparatuses. In this case, the performance of the semiconductor chips may be degraded, or the lifespan thereof may be reduced.

To solve such an internal heat problem, a method of attaching a heat sink to a heating element has been conventionally used to cool down the heating element. However, when an electronic apparatus includes a plurality of heating elements for discharging a large amount of heat for a unit time, it is difficult to cool down the heat generated from the inside of the electronic apparatus with only the heat sink. Therefore, recently, a heat transfer device using a heat pipe has been frequently applied. In particular, a heat transfer device using a small heat pipe is mainly used in notebook PCs and mobile phones, whose internal space is significantly reduced due to the miniaturization and integration.

The heat pipe is a passive type which has an excellent heat transfer characteristic, does not generate noise, and does not require separate power. The heat pipe can effectively transfer heat using latent heat for vaporization of a working fluid, even when there is a small temperature difference.

However, it is not preferable that the heat transfer device having only the cooling function is separately provided inside the electronic apparatus whose internal space is significantly reduced due to the miniaturization and integration. That is, to effectively use the narrow internal space of a small-sized electronic apparatus, a heat transfer device may be implemented to perform another function as well as the heat transfer function.

The present inventors have found that when a piezoelectric thin film is deposited on surfaces of capillary grooves in a heat pipe, an electromotive force is generated from the piezoelectric thin film as the capillary grooves vibrate in a side-to-side or front and back direction due to a phase change of the working fluid.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

In order to solve the foregoing and/or other problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a heat transfer device which can not only transfer heat, but can also generate power.

Technical Solution

According to an aspect of the present invention, a heat transfer device comprises a vaporization unit including multi-channel capillary grooves which vaporize a working fluid through heat transferred from an external heating element so as to generate vapor; and a condensation unit that condenses the vapor of the working fluid vaporized by the vaporization unit and then returns the condensed liquid to the vaporization unit. The multi-channel capillary grooves have a piezoelectric thin film deposited thereon, and vibrate due to the vapor of the vaporized working fluid such that power is generated from the multi-channel capillary grooves.

As the vapor of the vaporized working fluid slides and flows among the multi-channel capillary grooves, the multi-channel capillary grooves having the piezoelectric thin film deposited thereon may vibrate in a side-to-side or front and back direction. Accordingly, power is generated from the multi-channel capillary grooves.

Lower portions of the multi-channel capillary grooves may be connected to a wall surface of the vaporization unit, and upper portions of the multi-channel capillary grooves may be formed in a cantilever shape such that the ends thereof can freely move. The working fluid may be saturated and uniformly distributed among the multi-channel capillary grooves due to the capillary action of the multi-channel capillary grooves.

The heat transfer device may further comprise a post-shaped bridge that is formed between the vaporization unit and the condensation unit so as to prevent compression. The bridge may be used as a liquid flow path through which the condensed liquid returns to the vaporization unit.

Advantageous Effects

The heat transfer device according to the present invention has a function of generating power through the vibration of the capillary grooves having a thin piezoelectric film deposited thereon, in addition to the heat transfer function of discharging the heat transferred from the heating element to the outside. Therefore, since the heat transfer device can provide a heat transfer function as a cooling element and a power supply function as a power generator to small-sized electronic apparatuses, its effective value is expected to increase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views of a heat transfer device capable of generating power according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining heat transfer operation of the heat transfer device according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining power generation operation of the heat transfer device according to the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a state in which bridges are formed in the heat transfer device according to the present invention.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an example embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made to these example embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the example embodiments. The example embodiments are provided to more clearly explain the present invention to those skilled in the art.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views of a heat transfer device capable of generating power according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining heat transfer operation of the heat transfer device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the heat transfer device 100 capable of generating power according to the present invention has an airtight structure of which the inner space is maintained in a vacuum state.

A working fluid 103 is injected into the heat transfer device 100 having such an airtight structure, and heat transfer between a vaporization unit 110 and a condensation unit 130 is performed by a phase change of the injected working fluid 103.

The vaporization unit 110 coming in contact with a heating element (not shown) has multi-channel capillary grooves 101. Through the capillary action of the capillary grooves 101, the working fluid 103 can be uniformly distributed among the capillary grooves 101 without a separate power source.

Lower portions of the capillary grooves 101 are connected to the wall surface of the vaporization unit 110, and upper portions of the capillary grooves 101 are formed in a cantilever shape such that the ends thereof can move freely.

The working fluid 103 may be liquid which has been initially injected to the heat transfer device 100 or liquid which has been condensed in the condensation unit 130 and returned. The working fluid 103 is always saturated among the capillary grooves 101, and the phase change of the working fluid 103 is repeated depending on the amount of heat applied to the vaporization unit 110.

Referring to FIG. 2, the working fluid 103 which has been saturated among the capillary grooves 101 is phase-changed by the heat applied to the vaporization unit 110 so as to vaporize. The vapor V_F of the working fluid 103 transfers latent heat H_L to the wall surface of the condensation unit 130 and is then condensed. Further, the working fluid C_F condensed in the condensation unit 130 returns to the vaporization unit 110 along the wall surface of the heat transfer device 100.

As the vaporization and the condensation are repeatedly performed, the heat transferred from the heating element (not shown) is discharged to the outside.

The heat transfer device 100 constructed in such a manner can rapidly transfer heat, generated from one side, to the other side. Therefore, the heat transfer device 100 may be used as a heat dissipating device which effectively dissipates hot spots of a heat source. Further, the heat transfer device 100 of the present invention can be operated in the anti-gravity direction in which a heat source is positioned at the upper end thereof, and can be operated regardless of a tilted angle thereof.

Meanwhile, the heat transfer device 100 according to the present invention has a power generation function, in addition to the above-described heat transfer function. The power generation function will be described below in detail.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the power generation operation of the heat transfer device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the working fluid 130 saturated among the capillary grooves 101 is vaporized by the heat applied to the vaporization unit 110, vapor V_F of the working fluid 103 slides and flows among the capillary grooves 101 due to a pressure difference. At this time, the capillary grooves 101 vibrate in a side-to-side or front and back direction due to the flowing of the vapor V_F of the vaporized working fluid 103.

That is, since the lower portions of the capillary grooves 101 are connected to the wall surface of the vaporization unit 110 and the upper portions of the capillary grooves 101 are formed in a cantilever shape such that the ends of the capillary grooves 101 can freely move, the capillary grooves 101 vibrate due to the vapor V_F of the working fluid 103 sliding and flowing among the capillary grooves 101.

The capillary grooves 101 have a piezoelectric thin film 101a deposited thereon. Accordingly, an electromotive force is generated from the piezoelectric thin film 101a by the vibration of the capillary grooves 101. As a result, power can be generated.

Each of the capillary grooves 101 is connected to an electrode pattern E for transferring the power generated by the piezoelectric thin film 101a. The electrode pattern E may be formed through a method of filling a via hole with a metallic material, the via hole passing through the wall of the vaporization unit 110. The electrode pattern E may be formed through another method.

The electromotive force generated by the piezoelectric thin film 101a deposited on the surface of each of the capillary grooves 101 is low. However, since the plurality of capillary grooves 101 are formed in the heat transfer device 100, the overall power which is generated from the plurality of capillary grooves 101 and then collected by the electrode patterns E is sufficiently high.

As long as the heat transfer by the phase change is continued, the vibration of the capillary grooves 101 is continuously performed, and each of the capillary grooves 101 operates independently. Further, the shape and size of the capillary grooves 101 is determined depending on the number and intensity of vibrations.

Meanwhile, since the inside of the heat transfer device 100 is maintained in a vacuum state, compression of the vaporization unit 110 and the condensation unit 130 may occur in a middle portion of the heat transfer device 100, depending on the area and wall thickness of the heat transfer device 100.

In the present invention, a bridge is formed in the heat transfer device 100 so as to prevent the compression of the vaporization unit 110 and the condensation unit 130. The bridge will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a state where bridges 105 are formed in the heat transfer device 100 according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the bridges 105 are formed in the heat transfer device 100 according to the present invention such that the vaporization unit 110 and the condensation unit 130 are spaced a predetermined distance from each other. The number, shape, and size of the bridges 105 may differ depending on the area and structure of the heat transfer device 100.

The bridge 105 can not only prevent the compression of the vaporization unit 110 and the condensation unit 130, but may also serve as a liquid flow path through which the working fluid 103 condensed in the condensation unit 130 returns to the vaporization unit 110.

In the heat transfer device 100 according to the present invention, the heat generated from the vaporization unit 110 by the phase change of the working fluid 103 can be effectively transferred to the condensation unit 130. Further, as the capillary grooves 101 having the piezoelectric thin film 101a deposited thereon vibrate in a side-to-side or front and back direction, power can be generated.

While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat transfer device comprising:

a vaporization unit including multi-channel capillary grooves which vaporize a working fluid through heat transferred from an external heating element so as to generate vapor; and

a condensation unit that condenses the vapor of the working fluid vaporized by the vaporization unit and then returns the condensed liquid to the vaporization unit,

wherein the multi-channel capillary grooves have a piezoelectric thin film deposited thereon, and vibrate due to the vapor of the vaporized working fluid such that power is generated from the multi-channel capillary grooves.

2. The heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein as the vapor of the vaporized working fluid slides and flows among the multi-channel capillary grooves, the multi-channel capillary grooves having the piezoelectric thin film deposited thereon vibrate in a side-to-side or front and back direction.

3. The heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein lower portions of the multi-channel capillary grooves are connected to a wall surface of the vaporization unit, and upper portions of the multi-channel capillary grooves are formed in a cantilever shape such that the ends thereof can freely move.

4. The heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid is saturated and uniformly distributed among the multi-channel capillary grooves due to the capillary action of the multi-channel capillary grooves.

5. The heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the heat transferred from the heating element by a phase change caused by the vaporization and condensation of the working fluid is discharged through the condensation unit to the outside.

6. The heat transfer device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a post-shaped bridge that is formed between the vaporization unit and the condensation unit so as to prevent compression.

7. The heat transfer device according to claim 6, wherein the bridge is used as a liquid flow path through which the condensed liquid returns to the vaporization unit.