# US 2014/0190667 A1 · Capillary device for use in heat pipe and method of manufacturing such capillary device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190667 A1 - Document ID: US20140190667A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/119,814 - Filed: 2012-05-24 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-24 - Assignees: Thermal Corp. - Inventors: Ryan James McGlen; John Gilbert Thayer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190667A1 ## CPC - F28D 15/04: with tubes having a capillary structure - B23P 15/26: heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} - F28D 15/0233: {the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular (F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence)} - F28D 15/0275: {Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores} - F28D 15/046: {characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure} - Y10T 29/10: Battery-grid making - Y10T 29/49353: Heat pipe device making - Y10T 29/49396: Condenser, evaporator or vaporizer making - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-16. (canceled) ### Claim 17 A capillary device for use in a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from at least one first region to at least one second region by means of working fluid, the capillary device comprising a body portion defining at least one chamber containing unfused powdered material therein, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid through said unfused powdered material in said chamber by means of capillary action. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A capillary device according to claim 17, wherein the capillary device is adapted to be used 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, and 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 unfused powdered material in said chamber when flowing from a condensation region to an evaporation region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A capillary device according to claim 18, wherein at least a portion of said body portion in the vicinity of an evaporation region has a porosity different from a porosity of at least a portion of said body portion remote from said evaporation region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A capillary device according to claim 18, wherein the body portion surrounds an elongate channel and at least one said chamber is located between at least part of said channel and an evaporation region in use. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A capillary device according to claim 20, wherein a plurality of said chambers are spaced apart around the periphery of, and protruding into, said channel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) A capillary device according to claim 18, further comprising at least one vapour flow passage in said body portion for allowing flow of evaporated working fluid from an evaporation region to a condensation region. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A capillary device according to claim 22, wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said vapour flow passage is porous. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) A capillary device according to claim 17, wherein said body portion comprises at least one support portion adapted to resist compressive forces applied to the capillary device, wherein at least part of at least one said support portion is porous to allow flow of condensed working fluid therethrough. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) A heat transfer apparatus comprising at least one capillary device according to claim 17. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least one said capillary device is connected to a plurality of condenser devices. ### Claim 27 A method of manufacturing a body portion of a capillary device for use in a heat transfer apparatus in which heat is transferred from at least one first region to at least one second region by means of working fluid, the method comprising forming successive layers of said body portion by means of selective melting of powdered material by means of an energetic beam, such that at least part of said body portion is porous to enable flow of condensed working fluid therethrough, wherein said selective melting of powdered material provides fused powdered material and unfused powdered material, and said body portion defines at least one chamber containing unfused powdered material therein, and wherein at least part of the periphery of at least one said chamber is porous. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A method according to claim 27, wherein the method is a method of manufacturing a capillary device adapted to be used 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, 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. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) A method according to claim 27, wherein the unfused powdered material encapsulated in at least one said chamber is the same material as the powdered material from which the successive layers are formed. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) A method according to claim 27, further comprising directing at least one stream of powdered material to a location at which said powdered material is melted by means of the energetic beam. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) A method according to claim 28, wherein at least one said stream of said powdered material is constrained in a stream of inert gas.