Heat pipe thermal mounting plate for cooling electronic circuit cards
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsLloyd A. Nelson, Kalwant S. Sekhon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Heat pipe technology may be utilized to cool circuit card-mounted electronic components. A heat pipe thermal mounting pipe has a very high thermal conductivity and provides a relatively uniform temperature surface for attaching of circuit card-mounted electronic components. It comprises thin evaporator and condenser wicks (for low temperature gradients) as well as a relatively porous sintered metal artery wick (for high heat transfer capability). The heat sink or other heat exchanger may be mounted at the edge of the thermal mounting plate in the vicinity of the condenser wick. The electronic components are mounted in the vicinity of the evaporator wicks.
Claims10
An electronic module with an integral heat pipe thermal mounting plate comprising in combination:
- means for defining at least one electronic circuit card;
- means for defining heat dissipating electronic components electrically coupled to said circuit card means;
- means for defining an electric connector extending at least along an edge of said circuit card means in electrical connection with said electronic components means;
- a thermal joint area for connection to an external heat sink;
- at least one conduction bar extending from said thermal joint area and provided with means for mounting said heat dissipating electronic components means in direct heat transfer connection;
- a thin condenser wick disposed within a hollow portion inside said thermal joint area and thermally bonded thereto;
- a thin evaporator wick disposed within a hollow portion inside said conduction bar and thermally bonded thereto, said condenser wick and said evaporator wick having means designed therein for optimizing thermal conductivity from said heat dissipating components means to the fluid-vapor interface of a heat pipe working fluid saturating said wicks;
- an uninterrupted vapor flow path from said conduction bar hollow portion to said thermal joint hollow portion;
- and
- an artery wick extending from said thermal joint hollow portion to said conduction bar hollow portion for providing a high flow rate for said heat pipe working fluid from said condenser wick to said evaporator wick.
An electronic module with an integral heat pipe thermal mounting plate comprising in combination:
- means for defining at least one electronic circuit card;
- means for defining heat dissipating electronic components electrically coupled to said circuit card means;
- means for defining an electric connector coupled to said circuit card means in electrical connection with said electronic components means;
- first heat pipe means with condenser wicking configured as a thermal joint area for connection to an external heat sink;
- and
- second heat pipe means with evaporator wicking configured as at least one conduction bar which extends from said thermal joint area and which is provided with means for mounting said heat dissipating electronic components means in heat transfer connection therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.