# US 2018/0320985 A1 · Polymer-based heat transfer device and process for manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320985 A1 - Document ID: US20180320985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/969,985 - Filed: 2018-05-03 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-03 - Assignees: Socpra Sciences Et Genie S.E.C. - Applicants: Socpra Sciences Et Genie S.E.C. - Inventors: Mahmoodreza SALIM SHIRAZY; Luc G. FRECHETTE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320985A1 ## CPC - F28D 15/046: {characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure} - F28D 15/0233: {the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular (F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence)} - F28D 15/0283: {Means for filling or sealing heat pipes} - F28F 21/062: {the heat-exchange apparatus employing tubular conduits} - F28D 2015/0225: {Microheat pipes} - F28D 2021/0028: {for cooling heat generating elements, e.g. for cooling electronic components or electric devices} - F28D 2021/005: {for medical applications} - 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) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A polymer-based heat transfer device comprising a polymer-based housing having housing walls defining a working fluid chamber, a porous structure extending in the working fluid chamber from at least one of the two opposed ones of the housing walls, and a plurality of housing wall spacers, such as support posts, extending between the two housing walls to maintain the two housing walls in a spaced-apart configuration with the working fluid chamber extending in between is provided. Also described is a polymer-based heat transfer device comprising a polymer-based housing having housing walls defining a working fluid chamber and a porous structure extending in the working fluid chamber from at least one of the two opposed ones of the housing walls, and heat-conductive metal or ceramic-based foam contacting at least one of the housing walls. A process for manufacturing the polymer-based heat transfer device is provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A polymer-based heat transfer device comprising: a polymer-based housing having housing walls with an inner surface defining a working fluid chamber, a porous structure extending in the working fluid chamber from at least one of the housing walls, and a plurality of housing wall spacers extending between two opposed ones of the housing walls to maintain the two opposed ones of the housing walls in a spaced-apart configuration with the working fluid chamber extending in between. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the polymer-based housing comprises a first housing shell and a second housing shell superposed to one another and sealed together and the polymer-based heat transfer device further comprises a high barrier coating applied onto at least one of the inner surface of the housing walls and an outer surface of the housing walls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of housing wall spacers comprises a plurality of spaced-apart support posts protruding from the inner surface of one of the housing walls towards an opposed one of the housing walls and contacting same. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the porous structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart ridges protruding from at least one of the housing walls and extending substantially parallel to one another and defining inbetween a plurality of microchannels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of housing wall spacers comprises the ridges which extend towards an opposed one of the housing walls and contact same. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the ridges are polymer-based ridges. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 4, wherein a bottom surface of the microchannels is hydrophilic and a top surface of the microchannels is hydrophobic. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the polymer-based heat transfer device is a heat pipe and the working fluid chamber is a closed working fluid chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the polymer-based heat transfer device is a cold plate and the polymer-based housing comprises a working fluid inlet port and a working fluid outlet port, spaced-apart from the working fluid inlet port. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the polymer-based housing comprises at least one heat-conductive insert embedded within at least one of the housing walls. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one heat-conductive insert comprises a heat-conductive metal-based foam entirely embedded in the at least one of the housing walls and the porous structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart ridges protruding from at least one of the housing walls and extending substantially parallel to one another and defining inbetween a plurality of microchannels. ### Claim 12 A polymer-based heat transfer device comprising: a polymer-based housing having housing walls defining a working fluid chamber and a porous structure extending in the working fluid chamber from at least one of the housing walls; and a heat-conductive metal-based foam contacting the at least one of the housing walls. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 12, wherein the heat-conductive metal-based foam at least partially extends in the working fluid chamber to define the porous structure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 12, wherein the heat-conductive metal-based foam is entirely embedded in the at least one of the housing walls and the polymer-based housing comprises a first housing shell and a second housing shell superposed to one another and sealed together. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 12, wherein the polymer-based housing further comprises a plurality of housing wall spacers including a plurality of spaced-apart support posts protruding from an inner surface of one of the housing walls towards an opposed one of the housing walls and contacting same. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 14, wherein the porous structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart ridges protruding from at least one of the housing walls and extending substantially parallel to one another and defining inbetween a plurality of microchannels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The polymer-based heat transfer device according to claim 16, wherein the ridges extend towards an opposed one of the housing walls and contact same to define housing wall spacers. ### Claim 18 A process for manufacturing a polymer-based heat transfer device, the process comprising: forming a first polymer-based housing shell and a second polymer-based housing shell, at least one of the polymer-based housing shells having a porous structure on at least one inner surface thereof; superposing the first housing shell and the second housing shell with the inner surfaces facing another one of the inner surfaces and being spaced-apart to define a working fluid chamber inbetween; at least partially peripherally sealing the first housing shell and the second housing shells together; and inserting a working fluid inside the working fluid chamber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The process according to claim 18, wherein forming the first polymer-based housing shell and the second polymer-based housing shell comprises forming a plurality of housing wall spacers on an inner surface of at least one of the first and the second polymer-based housing shells, the housing wall spacers being configured to contact an opposed one of the inner surface when the first and the second polymer-based housing shells are superposed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The process according to claim 18, wherein forming the first polymer-based housing shell and the second polymer-based housing shell comprises forming a plurality of spaced-apart ridges protruding from an inner surface of at least one of the housing shells and extending substantially parallel to one another and defining inbetween a plurality of microchannels. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The process according to claim 18, wherein forming the first polymer-based housing shell and the second polymer-based housing shell comprises embedding at least one heat-conductive insert within at least one of the first and the second polymer-based housing shells.