Heat transfer device and method of making same

A heat pipe comprising:

• a hermetically sealed and partially evacuated enclosure, said enclosure comprising internal surfaces;
• a wick disposed on at least one of said internal surfaces and comprising a plurality of particles joined together by a brazing compound such that fillets of said brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of said plurality of particles so as to form a network of capillary passageways between said particles wherein said brazing compound comprises about sixty-five percent weight copper and thirty-five percent weight gold such that said fillets of said brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of said plurality of particles so as to create a network of capillary passageways between said particles, and further wherein at least one vapor vent is defined through said capillary structure;
• and
• a two-phase fluid at least partially disposed within a portion of said wick.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a sealed and partially evacuated enclosure having an internal surface;
• a wick disposed upon said internal surface comprising a plurality of individual particles which together yield an average particle diameter and a brazing compound such that fillets of said brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of said plurality of particles, and further including at least one vapor vent that is defined through a portion of said wick having a particle layer at the bottom of each vapor-vent wherein said particle layer comprises at least one dimension that is no more than about six average particle diameters wherein said particles in said particle layer are thermally engaged with one another by a plurality of said fillets;
• and
• a working fluid disposed within said enclosure.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a sealed and partially evacuated enclosure having an internal surface;
• a wick disposed upon said internal surface comprising a plurality of sintered particles which together yield an average particle diameter, and further including at least one vapor vent that is defined through a portion of said wick having a particle layer at the bottom of each vapor-vent wherein said particle layer comprises at least one dimension that is no more than about six average particle diameters;
• and
• a working fluid disposed within said enclosure.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a sealed and partially evacuated enclosure having an internal surface;
• a wick disposed upon said internal surface comprising a plurality of sintered particles which together yield an average particle diameter, and further including at least one vapor vent that is defined through a portion of said wick;
• and
• a working fluid disposed within said enclosure.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a sealed and partially evacuated tubular enclosure having an internal surface covered by a brazed wick comprising a plurality of particles joined together by a brazing compound such that fillets of said brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of said plurality of particles so as to form a network of capillary passageways between said particle and sealed at a first end;
• a base sealingly fixed to a second end of said enclosure so as to form an internal surface within said enclosure wherein said wick formed on said base includes at least one vapor vent that is defined through a portion of said wick;
• a working fluid disposed within said enclosure;
• and
• at least one fin projecting radially outwardly from an outer surface of said tubular enclosure.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a sealed and partially evacuated tubular enclosure having an internal surface covered by a wick comprising a plurality of sintered particles so as to form a network of capillary passageways between said particle and sealed at a first end;
• a base sealingly fixed to a second end of said enclosure so as to form an internal surface within said enclosure wherein said wick formed on said base includes at least one vapor vent that is defined through a portion of said wick;
• a working fluid disposed within said enclosure;
• and
• at least one fin projecting radially outwardly from an outer surface of said tubular enclosure.

A method for making a capillary structure on an inside surface of a container, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a slurry of metal particles that are mixed with a brazing compound wherein said metal particles comprise a first melting temperature and said brazing compound comprises a second melting temperature that is lower than said first melting temperature;
• (b) coating at least portion of said inside surface of said container with said slurry so as to define vapor-vents in said slurry;
• (c) drying said slurry to form a green wick;
• and,
• (d) heating said green wick to a temperature that is no less than said second melting temperature and below said first melting temperature so that said brazing compound is drawn by capillary action toward adjacent of said metal particles so as to form heat-distribution fillets between said adjacent metal particles thereby to yield a brazed wick.

A method for making a heat pipe wick on an inside surface of a heat pipe container, comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a mandrel having a plurality of posts within a portion of said container;
• (b) providing a slurry of metal particles having an average particle diameter and that are mixed with a brazing compound wherein said metal particles comprise a first melting temperature and said brazing compound comprises a second melting temperature that is lower than said first melting temperature;
• (c) coating at least portion of the inside surface of said container with said slurry so that said slurry conforms to the contour of said mandrel and forms a layer of slurry between adjacent posts;
• (d) drying said slurry to form a green wick;
• and,
• (e) heating said green wick to a temperature that is no less than said second melting temperature and below said first melting temperature so that said brazing compound is drawn by capillary action toward adjacent of said metal particles so as to form heat-distribution fillets between said adjacent metal particles thereby to yield a brazed wick.

A heat pipe comprising:

• a hermetically sealed and partially evacuated enclosure, said enclosure comprising internal surfaces;
• a wick disposed on at least one of said internal surfaces and comprising a plurality of aluminum and magnesium particles joined together by an aluminum/magnesium intermetallic alloy brazing compound such that fillets of said brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of said plurality of particles so as to form a network of capillary passageways between said particles wherein at least one vapor vent is defined through said capillary structure;
• and
• a two-phase fluid at least partially disposed within a portion of said wick.