Method and apparatus for heat extraction by controlled spray cooling

An apparatus for using spray cooling to control the temperature of the hot surface of a solid, comprising:

• a mandrel having a hot side, wherein the hot side is being heated, a cool side and a peripheral side extending between the hot side and the cool side;
• a set of spray nozzles facing the peripheral side of the mandrel to provide a spatially varying thermal profile along the peripheral side of the mandrel, said set of spray nozzles being movable with respect to the first and second sides of the mandrel, wherein a flow rate of a coolant through said set of spray nozzles is variable and wherein the flow rate of coolant through at least one of the spray nozzles is independently controllable;
• an actuator for moving the spray nozzles with respect to the mandrel to alter the thermal resistance of the mandrel;
• and
• a sensor for acquiring thermal information about the mandrel.

A chemical vapor deposition apparatus for forming diamond, comprising:

• a housing;
• a source of chemical reactants;
• a mandrel located within the housing, said mandrel having two opposed faces and a peripheral face connecting the first and the second faces to each other, said first face serving as a vapor deposition surface;
• a plurality of spray nozzles for applying coolant to the peripheral surface of the mandrel, said spray nozzles being axially displaceable with respect to the mandrel, wherein the spray delivered by the spray nozzles establishes an isothermal cooling surface along the mandrel the boundary of which can be varied by axially moving the spray nozzles.

A method of controlling the temperature of a side of a disk of material having a cooling side that has a temperature in the super-Leidenfrost range, comprising the steps of:

• ascertaining the thermal state of the disk;
• comparing the thermal state of the disk to its desired thermal state;
• relating the actual thermal state of the disk and the desired thermal state of the disk to a desired mass flow rate of coolant to be applied to the disk in the form of droplets;
• and
• supplying the desired mass flow rate of coolant through a series of spray nozzles to the cooling side.