# US 8,739,405 B2 · Method of manufacturing an evaporator for looped heat pipe

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- Number: US 8,739,405 B2
- Document ID: US8739405B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/303,909
- Filed: 2011-11-23
- Published: 2013-05-09
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-04
- Assignees: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Jee Hoon Choi; Jung Hyun Yoo; Byung Ho Sung; Yun Keun Lee; Min Whan Seo
- Inventors: Jee Hoon Choi; Jung Hyun Yoo; Byung Ho Sung; Yun Keun Lee; Min Whan Seo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739405B2

## CPC

- F28D 15/043: {forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops}
- F28D 15/046: {characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure}
- Y10T 29/4935: Heat exchanger or boiler making
- Y10T 29/49353: Heat pipe device making
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An evaporator for a looped heat pipe (LHP) system, in which a working fluid circulates to cool heat generating electronic components that generate heat during operation, the evaporator including: a body comprising an inlet through which the working fluid enters and an outlet through which the working fluid is discharged; a sintered wick that is included in the body, wherein the sintered wick is formed by sintering a metal powder, and a plurality of pores are formed in the sintered wick; and an additional layer that is formed on a vaporization surface of the sintered wick where evaporation of the working fluid occurs, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the additional layer such that the working fluid changed into a vapor state passes through the additional layer after passing the sintered wick.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an evaporator for a looped heat pipe (LHP) system, in which a working fluid circulates to cool a heat generating electronic component that generates heat during operation, the method comprising:
forming a body comprising an inlet through which the working fluid enters and an outlet through which the working fluid is discharged;
forming a sintered wick that is included in the body, wherein the sintered wick is formed by sintering a metal powder, and a plurality of pores are formed in the sintered wick; and
forming an additional layer that is formed on a vaporization surface of the sintered wick where evaporation of the working fluid occurs, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the additional layer such that the working fluid changed into a vapor state passes through the additional layer after passing through the sintered wick,
wherein the forming of the additional layer comprises:
preparing the sintered wick and a thin film that is formed of a metal;
bonding the thin film to the vaporization surface of the sintered wick; and
anodizing the thin film to form the through holes in the thin film,
wherein the sintered wick is formed of copper, and the thin film is formed of aluminum, and after the anodizing is performed, the thin film is formed into alumina,
wherein the bonding the thin film comprises a heat pressing operation in which the thin film is contacted to the vaporization surface of the sintered wick and heat and pressure are applied to bond the thin film and the vaporization surface of the sintered wick to each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the thin film is about 10 μm to about 500 μm, and after the bonding the thin film, an electrochemical polishing operation is further performed to the thin film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein after the electrochemical polishing operation is performed, the thickness of the thin film is reduced to about 0.01 μm to about 10 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a shape of the through holes formed after the anodizing is performed is substantially cylindrical, and a diameter of the through holes is about 10 nm to about 500 nm.