Fluid phase change thermal management arrangement and method

A fluid phase change thermal management method for removing heat from an article, the method including the steps of:

• providing a coolant fluid in a closed path in a cooling chamber,
• increasing a volume within the closed path from V1 to V2 using a pressure control pump to vapourise a portion of the coolant fluid from its liquid phase to its vapour phase such that there is substantially only the fluid in its liquid phase and fluid in its vapour phase within the volume V2 allowing at least partial vaporisation of the coolant fluid from its liquid phase to its vapour phase,
• the coolant vapour so produced then flowing to a condensation zone and then activating the pressure control pump to reduce the volume of the cooling chamber from V2 to V1 and thereby cause at least a partial increase in the pressure in the closed path so as to force out or condense any remaining coolant that is in the gaseous phase thereby filling all spaces within the cooling chambers with coolant in its liquid phase and the pressure control pump operates to alternate between increasing partially the pressure in the closed path and decreasing at least partially the pressure in the closed path, thus causing at least a portion of the coolant to transform from its liquid phase to a vapour phase in a condensation zone of the cooling chamber,
• wherein the cooling chamber includes a main channel orientated in a vertical direction, and a plurality of cavities fluidly connected to the main channel at intervals along a longitudinal axis of the main channel and defined with a heated surface, and wherein each of the plurality of cavities is fluidly connected to the main channel by an upwardly inclined secondary channel such that the fluid in each cavity in a vapour phase flows through the secondary channel upwardly toward a top portion of the main channel.

A fluid phase change thermal management apparatus including:

• a pressure control pump;
• a condenser;
• a cooling chamber in fluid communication with the pressure control pump and the condenser;
• liquid coolant filling substantially the cooling chamber;
• the pressure control pump operable to effect a change in volume of the cooling chamber in fluid communication with the pressure control pump to effect a change in pressure on the liquid coolant fluid within the cooling chamber from a first pressure P1, at a first volume V1, to a second pressure P2, at a second volume V2, and cause a portion of the liquid coolant to vapourise, wherein the cooling chamber includes a main channel orientated in a vertical direction, and a plurality of cavities fluidly connected to the main channel at intervals along a longitudinal axis of the main channel and defined with a heated surface, and wherein each of the plurality of cavities is fluidly connected to the main channel by an upwardly inclined secondary channel such that the fluid in each cavity in a vapour phase flows through the secondary channel upwardly toward a top portion of the main channel.