Method and apparatus for controlling temperature gradients within a structure being cooled
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsByron Elliott Short, Jr., Jay M. Ochterbeck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phased array antenna apparatus has a plurality of circuit portions which are each coupled to a respective antenna element. Capillary pressure of a cooling fluid within a wick in a loop is utilized to urge the fluid to travel around the loop, the wick being disposed in the region of the circuitry. In a variation, there are plural wicks in respective evaporators, and cooling fluid is distributed among the evaporators through a series of T-junctions. In another variation, cooling fluid is distributed to a plurality of evaporators in a sequence corresponding to a progressive increase in the respective amounts of heat accepted by the evaporators from structure being cooled.
Claims26
An apparatus, comprising:
- structure which generates heat;
- and
- a cooling section which accepts and dissipates heat generated by said structure, said cooling section including a loop containing a cooling fluid, said loop including a plurality of evaporators disposed in the region of said structure, a manifold section for distributing fluid flowing through said loop among said evaporators, and a plurality of wicks which are each disposed within a respective said evaporator, said wicks effecting a capillary pressure which urges said fluid to travel around said loop, said manifold section distributing the fluid to said evaporators in a sequence corresponding to a progressive increase in the respective amounts of heat accepted by said evaporators from said structure.
A method of cooling structure which generates heat, comprising the steps of:
- providing in the region of said structure a plurality of evaporators which each include a wick;
- utilizing capillary pressure of the fluid within said wicks to urge the fluid to travel around said loop;
- distributing fluid flowing through said loop among said evaporators with a manifold section having a plurality of first passageway sections which each have an inlet end and which each have an outlet end coupled to an input of a respective said evaporator, and having a plurality of second passageway sections that each have a first end which is approximately normal to and communicates with a respective said first passageway section, and that each have a second end which is coupled to said first end of a different said first passageway section, wherein said manifold section distributes the fluid to said evaporators in a sequence corresponding to a progressive increase in the respective amounts of heat accepted by said evaporators from said structure.
A method of cooling structure which generates heat, comprising the steps of:
- providing in the region of said structure a plurality of evaporators which each include a wick;
- utilizing capillary pressure of the fluid within said wicks to urge the fluid to travel around said loop;
- distributing fluid flowing through said loop among said evaporators in a sequence corresponding to a progressive increase in the respective amounts of heat accepted by said evaporators from said structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.