Module cooling system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorFrank E. Altoz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for cooling electronic components mounted on a cuit board. The circuit board is placed in thermal contact with a heat sink enclosure that has an interior cavity and a release opening that provides a path from the interior cavity to the external ambient. A meltable pellet blocks the release opening. A wick is bonded to the inside surface of the interior cavity. The device is sealed with a working fluid that permeates the wick. When the components get hot, the heat is transferred through the heat sink enclosure to the working fluid in the wick, causing the working fluid to vaporize. The vapors remain trapped in the interior cavity until the pellet melts, allowing the vapor to be released and the temperature of the heat sink enclosure to be stabilized or lowered.
Claims20
A cooling device for at least one electronic component comprising:
- a heat sink enclosure having an interior cavity and a release opening joining the interior cavity to an area external of said enclosure;
- a wick bonded to the inside surface of the interior cavity of said enclosure;
- a meltable pellet inserted into the release opening of said enclosure;
- a working fluid, said working fluid being sealed inside the interior cavity of said enclosure and permeating said wick;
- said enclosure mounted in thermal contact with said at least one electronic component;
- whereby upon melting of said pellet, a vapor of said working fluid travels through said release opening acting to cool to said enclosure and said at least one electronic component.
A cooling device for at least one electronic component comprising:
- a heat sink enclosure having an interior cavity and a release opening joining the interior cavity to an area external of said enclosure;
- a wick bonded to the inside surface of the interior cavity of said enclosure;
- a plug retained in the release opening in said enclosure, said plug having a passage leading from the interior cavity of said enclosure to said area external of said enclosure;
- a meltable pellet inserted into the passage of said plug;
- a working fluid, said working fluid being sealed inside the interior cavity of said enclosure and permeating said wick;
- said at least one electronic component mounted in thermal communication with said enclosure;
- whereby upon melting of said pellet, a vapor of said working fluid travels through said passage acting to cool said enclosure and at least one electronic component.
A method of cooling at least one randomly-oriented electronic component during a missile flight comprising:
- providing a separate light-weight compact randomly-oriented captive means attached to each of said at least one randomly-oriented electronic components for captively positioning a working fluid in communication with that component;
- captively vaporizing said working fluid within the separate captive means during the operation of its corresponding component;
- said separate captive means including a temperature sensitive means for controlling the release of the vapors contained within said captive means when the corresponding component reaches a predetermined temperature during routine operation;
- thereby preventing destruction from excess heat of said at least one electronic component during the flight of the missile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.