Dynamically enhancing heat transfer through heat pipes
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKevin O'Connell, Phillip V. Mann, William James Anderl, Alexander Matos, Brenda Berg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat pipe system, method, and heat sink system to enhance heat transfer from a heat-generating component. The method includes generating heat with the heat-generating component. The method also includes transferring at least a portion of the heat to at least a portion of a volatile fluid within one or more heat pipes. The method further includes modifying, dynamically, an active heat transfer region of the one or more heat pipes, thereby dynamically modulating heat transfer from the heat-generating component through the one or more heat pipes.
Claims19
A heat pipe system to enhance heat transfer from a heat-generating component, the heat pipe system comprising:
- one or more heat pipes, each heat pipe of the one or more heat pipes comprising:
- an outer shell;
- a wick structure coupled to the outer shell, wherein at least a portion of the wick structure defines a chamber therein, the chamber comprising an evaporator portion and a condenser portion;
- and
- one or more vapor blocking devices positioned in the chamber, wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices are configured to dynamically modify an active heat transfer region of the condenser portion, thereby dynamically modulate heat transfer through the condenser portion, and wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices comprises:
- one or more sleeves configured to at least partially insulate a portion of the condenser portion from at least a portion of a vapor flowing within the condenser portion, wherein the one or more sleeves comprises:
- one or more travel guides to traverse at least a portion of the chamber through one or more respective tracks positioned in the wick structure.
A method to enhance heat transfer from a heat-generating component comprising:
- generating heat with the heat-generating component;
- transferring at least a portion of the heat to at least a portion of a volatile fluid within one or more heat pipes, wherein the one or more heat pipes comprises:
- an outer shell;
- a wick structure coupled to the outer shell, wherein at least a portion of the wick structure defines a chamber therein, the chamber comprising an evaporator portion and a condenser portion;
- and
- one or more vapor blocking devices positioned in the chamber, wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices are configured to dynamically modify an active heat transfer region of the condenser portion, thereby dynamically modulate heat transfer through the condenser portion, and wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices comprises:
- one or more sleeves configured to at least partially insulate a portion of the condenser portion from at least a portion of a vapor flowing within the condenser portion, wherein the one or more sleeves comprises:
- one or more travel guides to traverse at least a portion of the chamber through one or more respective tracks positioned in the wick structure;
- and
- modifying, dynamically, an active heat transfer region of the one or more heat pipes, thereby dynamically modulating heat transfer from the heat-generating component through the one or more heat pipes.
A heat sink system to enhance heat transfer from a heat-generating component comprising:
- one or more heat pipes, each heat pipe of the one or more heat pipes comprising:
- an outer shell;
- a wick structure coupled to the outer shell, wherein at least a portion of the wick structure defines a chamber therein, the chamber comprising an evaporator portion and a condenser portion;
- and
- one or more vapor blocking devices positioned in the chamber, wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices are configured to dynamically modify an active heat transfer region of the condenser portion, thereby dynamically modulate heat transfer through the condenser portion, and wherein the one or more vapor blocking devices comprises:
- one or more sleeves configured to at least partially insulate a portion of the condenser portion from at least a portion of a vapor flowing within the condenser portion, wherein the one or more sleeves comprises:
- one or more travel guides to traverse at least a portion of the chamber through one or more respective tracks positioned in the wick structure;
- and
- one or more cooling fins thermally coupled to the one or more heat pipes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.