Method and apparatus for converting dissipated heat to work energy
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsKazuaki Yazawa, Avram Bar-Cohen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for enhancing natural convection and for converting lower temperature dissipated heat to other useful energy and apparatus therefor. Heat energy is transferred to a medium contained with a channel, and natural convection of the medium is utilized to transfer kinetic energy to another type of energy such as electrical energy.
Claims32
A heat dissipating device, comprising:
- a channel, the channel internally housed inside a enclosure wherein the channel is configured to extend across the enclosure;
- a fluid medium disposed within the channel;
- and
- a heat transfer member, the heat transfer member adjacently disposed to an electrical component wherein each electrical component is adapted to generate heat, the heat transfer member is positioned to thermally connect the electrical component to the channel wherein the heat transfer member is configured to conductably attach to the channel to maintain a temperature differential between the electrical component and the channel such that the fluid medium flows through the channel and out of the enclosure.
A heat dissipating device to dissipate heat generated by electrical components, comprising:
- a plurality of channels, each channel internally disposed inside an enclosure wherein each channel is positioned to paralleably extend across the enclosure, each channel having an inlet to receive a fluid medium and an outlet to exit the fluid medium out of the enclosure;
- a plurality of heat transfer members, each heat transfer member adjacently disposed to an electrical component capable of generating heat therefrom, each heat transfer member thermally connecting each electrical component to the channel, the heat transfer member having a thermal conductor, the thermal conductor having a thermal conductive gel attached thereto to reduce contact resistance there between;
- and
- an extendable channel, the extendable channel removably fixed to the outlet to generate a longer length of the channel to increase flow of the fluid medium.
A heat dissipating device to dissipate by natural convection heat generated by electrical components, comprising:
- at least one common channel, the common channel being housed inside a enclosure, the common channel configured to encompass at least one circuit board wherein each circuit board has at least one electrical component, the electrical component adapted to generate heat into the common channel to maintain a temperature differential within the common channel;
- a manifold, the manifold adjacently disposed above each of the at least one common channel;
- and
- an extendable channel, the extendable channel removably fixed to the manifold to generate a longer length of the at least one channel.
A method of dissipating heat generated by electrical electrical components comprising the steps of:
- a. displacing a channel through a enclosure, the enclosure having at least one heat generating electrical component;
- b. thermally attaching the at least one heat generating electrical component to the channel;
- c. maintaining a temperature differential between the at least one heat generating electrical component and the channel wherein the temperature differential generates a heated fluid medium flow within the channel by creating a natural convection flow;
- d. performing convective cooling on the enclosure by channeling the heated fluid medium flow through the channel out of the enclosure;
- and
- e. generating electricity by harnessing the heated fluid medium flow to an energy converter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.