System and method for maintaining efficiency of a fractal heat sink
AssigneeFractal Heatsink Technologies LLC
InventorAlexander Poltorak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions having varying size scales. According to one embodiment, an accumulation of dust or particles on a surface of the heatsink is reduced by a removal mechanism. The mechanism can be thermal pyrolysis, vibration, blowing, etc. In the case of vibration, adverse effects on the system to be cooled may be minimized by an active or passive vibration suppression system.
Claims20
A heatsink comprising:
- a base structure configured to interface with a heat source;
- a heat transmissive body, configured to receive heat from the base structure;
- and
- a heat transfer surface surrounding the heat transmissive body configured to transfer heat to a surrounding heat transfer medium, the heat transfer surface having a plurality of tapered branched protrusions having different cross sectional areas with respect to distance from a preceding branch point.
A heatsink comprising:
- a base structure configured to interface with a heat source;
- a heat transmissive body, configured to receive heat from the base structure;
- and
- a heat transfer surface surrounding the heat transmissive body configured to transfer heat to a surrounding heat transfer medium, the heat transfer surface having a plurality of tapering branched protrusions, each tapering branch dividing into at least two secondary branches at a respective branch point, the secondary branches having different cross sectional areas.
A heatsink control method, for controlling cooling of a heat source by a heatsink comprising a base structure configured to interface with the heat source;
- a heat transmissive body, configured to receive heat from the base structure;
- and a heat transfer surface surrounding the heat transmissive body, configured to transfer heat to a surrounding heat transfer medium, the heat transfer surface having a plurality of protrusions into the heat exchange medium;
- the method comprising:
- detecting a flow induced characteristic of the heat transfer medium;
- detecting a temperature;
- controlling a variable rate of flow of the heat exchange medium in dependence on at least the temperature and the flow induced characteristic of the heat transfer medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.