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AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsRichard M. Weber, Kerrin A. Rummel
Estimating the term…
A heat sink which comprises an enclosure having a highly thermally conductive surface region and defining an enclosed cavity. A porous, highly thermally conductive material is disposed in the cavity, preferably homogeneously therein, and is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive surface. A phase change material changing from its initial phase, generally solid, to its final phase, generally liquid, responsive to the absorption of heat is disposed in the enclosed cavity and in the porous material. In accordance with a first embodiment, the highly thermally conductive surface region is preferably aluminum and the porous medium is a highly thermally conductive porous medium, preferably aluminum. In accordance with a second embodiment, the thermally conductive surface is composed of highly thermally conductive fibers disposed in a matrix and the porous material is a plurality of the thermally conductive fibers extending from the thermally conductive surface into the cavity. The highly thermally conductive fibers are preferably graphite and the matrix is preferably an epoxy.
An apparatus comprising a heat sink which in its entirety can absorb heat over time, said heat sink including:
An apparatus comprising a heat sink which in its entirety is operable to effect over a period of time a net absorption of heat from externally thereof, said heat sink including:
A method of operating a heat sink so that, over a period of time, said heat sink will in its entirety experience a net absorption of heat from externally thereof, said heat sink including an enclosure with a highly thermally conductive portion, a highly thermally conductive porous material which has voids therein, which is disposed within a cavity in said enclosure and which is coupled physically and thermally to said highly thermally conductive portion of said enclosure, and a phase change material which is provided within said cavity so as to be disposed within and substantially fill said voids in said porous material, said method including the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.