Graphite composite heat pipe
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorsWilliam T. Gardner, Kiho D. Sohn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat pipe comprising a wick, working fluid, a chamber housing the wick and working fluid, and a plurality of wraps of a graphite composite fiber, preferably THORNEL graphite fiber, number P-120 2K. For maximum strength, the wraps are in different directions. The heat pipe can be integrally incorporated and bound to a printed wiring board, thereby eliminating the need for additional inefficient thermal interfaces.
Claims20
A heat pipe comprising:
- a. a wick;
- b. working fluid;
- c. a chamber containing said wick and fluid;
- and
- d. graphite composite fiber having high thermal conductivity and tensile strength wrapped around said chamber.
An integrally cooled printed wiring board comprising:
- a. a printed wiring board;
- and
- b. one or more heat pipes, each including a chamber containing a wick and a working fluid, bonded to said printed wiring board with a graphite composite matrix.
A thermally conductive pipe for removing heat, comprising:
- a thin walled metal tube having sealed ends;
- a wick disposed within said tube;
- a working fluid disposed within said tube;
- and
- graphite composite fiber first wrapped lengthwise around said tube and then wrapped circularly around said tube.
A thermally conductive pipe for transporting heat, comprising:
- a tube of 6061 T6 aluminum having a wall thickness of approximately 0.010 inches having two ends, each of which are the tube hermetically sealed;
- a working fluid disposed within said tube;
- a wick disposed within said tube;
- and
- THORNEL No. P-120 2K graphite composite fiber, bonded to said tube with HEXCEL PRE-PREG, first wrapped lengthwise around said tube at approximately a 15 degree angle to a longitudinal axis of the tube and then wrapped circularly along the length of said tube approximately three to four layers thick, wherein both the structural integrity of the tube and the thermal conductivity of the pipe are enhanced by the graphite composite fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.