Capillary device for use in heat pipe and method of manufacturing such capillary device
AssigneeAavid Thermal Corp.
InventorsRyan James McGlen, John Gilbert Thayer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims21
A method of manufacturing a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from a first region to a second region by a working fluid, the method comprising placing successive layers of powdered material over a donor material and selectively melting regions of each successive layer of powdered material by an energetic beam, wherein the selective melting of the powdered material forms at least one fused powdered material region and at least one unfused powdered material region in each successive layer, such that the at least one fused powdered material region in the successive layers of powdered material form at least one chamber extending from the first region to the second region and enclosing the at least one unfused powdered material region in the successive layers of powdered material.
A method of manufacturing a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from an evaporator region to a condenser region by a working fluid, the method comprising placing successive layers of powdered material over a donor material, melting spaced-apart selective regions of powdered material in each successive layer by an energetic beam to form fused powdered material regions separated by unfused powdered material regions, wherein each fused powdered material region in each successive layer of powdered material aligns with a fused powdered material region in an adjacent layer of powdered material and each unfused powdered material region in each successive layer of powdered material aligns with an unfused powdered material region in an adjacent layer of powdered material, wherein the fused powdered material regions of the successive layers of powdered material form a plurality of rigid porous walls to at least partially define a plurality of chambers that extend between the evaporator region and the condenser region, with each chamber enclosing an unfused powdered material region in each successive layer of powdered material.
A method of manufacturing a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred by a working fluid from an evaporator plate to a condenser plate through a vapor space disposed between the evaporator plate and the condenser plate, the method comprising placing a first layer of powdered material on the condenser plate, melting spaced-apart selective regions of powdered material in the first layer of powdered material by an energetic beam to form fused powdered material regions separated by unfused powdered material regions, wherein each fused powdered material region in the first layer of powdered material forms a fused porous region adjacent the condenser plate, placing successive layers of powdered material over the first layer of powdered material, melting spaced-apart selective regions of powdered material in each successive layer of powdered material by an energetic beam to form fused powdered material regions separated by unfused powdered material regions, wherein each fused powdered material region in each successive layer of powdered material aligns with a fused powdered material region in an adjacent layer of powdered material and each unfused powdered material region in each successive layer of powdered material aligns with an unfused powdered material region in an adjacent layer of powdered material, wherein the fused powdered material regions of the successive layers of powdered material form a plurality of rigid porous walls to at least partially define a plurality of chambers that extend between the evaporator plate and the condenser plate, wherein each chamber encloses a plurality of unfused powdered material regions, and wherein each fused powdered material region in a last layer of powdered material forms a fused porous region adjacent the evaporator plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.