Dual mode heat exchanger
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorFrank E. Altoz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual mode heat exchanger 10 for cooling airborne electronics 12 through a cold plate 14. The heat exchanger either radiates heat to air through radiator fins 18 or absorbs heat by evaporative cooling. A liquid coolant contained in grooves 16 of the cold plate 14 boils at a preselected temperature and thereby absorbs heat energy. Vapor released by the boiling liquid is exhausted through a hydrophobic filter membrane 24.
Claims13
A device for cooling heat dissipating electronic components comprising:
- (a) a heat transfer plate thermally coupled to said electronic components for absorbing heat generated by said electronic components;
- (b) radiation fins thermally coupled to said heat transfer plate, for radiating heat absorbed by said heat transfer plate from said electronic components to a gaseous medium;
- (c) a liquid medium for evaporative cooling of said electronic components;
- and
- (d) a cavity formed to retain said liquid medium operably associated with said heat transfer plate;
- and
- (e) a selectively permeable membrane in contact with said liquid medium which retains said liquid medium within said cavity but permits vapor to leave said cavity in order to encourage evaporative cooling.
A dual mode heat transfer device for cooling heat dissipating components comprising:
- (a) a cold plate for absorbing heat from and thereby cooling said heat dissipating components;
- (b) radiator fins for radiating heat conducted through said cold plate to an air flow adjacent to said radiator fins;
- (c) an aqueous coolant liquid disposed in grooves formed in said cold plate so that at elevated temperatures said coolant liquid is converted to vapor in order to cool said cold plate;
- and,
- (d) a hydrophobic membrane adjacent to said coolant liquid which allows vapor to vent from said grooves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.