Thermacore, Inc.

George Y Eastman

Donald M Ernst

Robert M Shaubach

Warren E Thomas

David Bruce Sarraf

Vincent P Roehm

A heat transfer surface structure for cooling high power density surfaces and the method of constructing it. The surface includes a sintered capillary layer with a complex configuration of tunnels within it constructed adjacent to the heated surface which is subject to very high power densities. The tunnel arteries serve to supply evaporable liquid and remove vapor to provide the cooling. A unique method of constructing the tunneled sintered layer is also described.

Tunnel artery wick for high power density surfaces

A semiconductor circuit construction in which the semiconductor junction is constructed as an integral part of a heat pipe to eliminate the casing which interferes with heat flow. The semiconductor chip material directly forms one wall of the casing of a heat pipe which is constructed as a hollow wafer-like configuration. A special material formed from a mixture of glass and the semiconductor material and which is directly adjacent to the backside of the semiconductor chip is used as the heat pipe wick.

Heat pipe

A support structure for a gas laser cavity in which the longitudinal support members are constructed as identical heat pipes with a common thermal interconnection. With this common thermal system, thermal effects and, therefore, thermal expansions are equalized for all members and the laser cavity maintains alignment despite changes in operating temperatures.

Thermally stabilized laser cavity

A condensation collector for accumulating liquid for input to a pump. The collector is a device which is independent of gravity for feeding a pump collecting condensate from a vapor system. A decreasing cross section condenser is cooled to the dew point of the vapor with which it is in contact, and the interior of the collector can be a highly wettable surface or be lined with a capillary material. The collector itself has a narrow region so that as it approaches the pump input it also acts as a capillary pump. Condensed liquid is therefore fed into the pump by the collector regardless of the absence of gravity.

Capillary input for pumps

A diaphragm pump for liquids operating by heating and vaporizing a part of the pumped liquid on the motive side of the diaphragm. A center spindle upon which the diaphragm slides is shaped to permit a limited amount of liquid to leak through into the vapor side while also permitting a release of pressure at the top end of the stroke. The spindle is also shaped to permit a suitable pressure buildup during the midportion of the stroke.

Diaphragm vapor pump

A mass produced, easily assembled heat exchanger for use in cooling a cabinet or other enclosure by convection over both ends of fins which penetrate the wall of the enclosure. The configuration of the preferred embodiment has offset fins alternating in and out of the enclosure with the overlap at the enclosure wall and each fin acting as a spacer for the adjacent ones. An alternate embodiment uses a 'U' shaped spacer to wrap around the overlapping edge of each fin, thus increasing the air flow space between fins without increasing the thickness of fins.

Cabinet cooler heat exchanger

A coal burning power plant which produces electricity at high efficiency and with very low levels of atmospheric contamination. A fluidized bed of limestone and coal is used to burn the coal with little air pollution, and a large quantity of specially constructed heat pipes transfer the heat to a closed cycle gas turbine with very low temperature loss. The preferred embodiments of the heat pipes are constructed with steel casing, have a thin aluminum oxide layer on their surfaces to prevent hydrogen permeation into the casing and have a plasma sprayed coating of ceramic on the portion within the fluidized bed to prevent erosion of the heat pipe casing by the solid particles within the bed.

Clean coal power system

A mechanically assisted evaporator layer for use in both open and evacuated heat transfer systems, in which a pump and spray nozzle operate in conjunction with a sintered metal evaporator layer to reduce the temperature difference required to transfer heat across the thickness of the surface and to permit smaller temperature differences and higher power densities in transferring heat. Liquid is pumped to and sprayed from a nozzle onto the sintered metal layer to keep the entire surface wetted at all times so as to permit uniform thin film evaporation from the surface. The continual presence of liquid at the outer evaporative boundary reduces the likelihood of surface dryout while the thermal conductivity of the sintered metal promotes more effective vaporization.

Mechanically assisted evaporator surface

A self-pumping solar liquid heating system which includes two solar collectors, a high temperature collector for generating vapor which expands and pumps fluid through the system, and a separate collector for collection of heat of utilization. A heat pipe transfers the heat from the high temperature collector to a vapor generator pump which moves the liquid in series through the second collector, a heat load and a liquid reservoir. Mechanical temperature controls are used to regulate the temperature of the heat load so no electrical power is required for the system.

Solar heater

A heat pipe capillary wick constructed from a sintered metal cylinder formed in close contact with the inner diameter of the heat pipe casing, and containing longitudinal grooves on the wick's inner surface, adjacent to the vapor space. The grooves provide longitudinal capillary pumping while the high capillary pressure of the sintered wick provides liquid to fill the grooves and assure effective circumferential distribution of liquid in the heat pipe.

Sintered grooved wicks

A closely coupled two phase heat exchanger. The heat is transferred between gas streams by multiple intermediate fluid paths. Each of the several intermediate fluid paths passes alternately between the hot and the cold gas stream many times during its travel from the pump. The heat exchanger is designed so that the intermediate fluid vaporizes in the hot and condenses in the cold section each time, thereby minimizing the quantity of liquid necessary to transfer the heat. The pumping action for the intermediate fluid exchanger is accomplished by either mechanical or vapor pumps. An added feature of the heat exchanger is automatic control of the minimum temperature to which the hot gas is cooled. This is accomplished by shutting off one of several intermediate fluid paths at the cool end of the gas being cooled. The shutoff is accomplished either on the basis of temperature of the cooled gas or on the formation of condensates at the cool end of the gas flow path.

Closely coupled two phase heat exchanger

A heat pipe which can be rolled up for storage and automatically deploys when heat is applied. Two highly flexible parallel sheets are bonded together at their edges, thus permitting compact rolled storage. The inside portions of the joined edges form creases which act as capillary channels to move the heat exchange liquid from the condenser to the evaporator. A further embodiment involves multiple longitudinal cells which yield many more capillary channels and increases the structural strength of the deployed heat pipe, while maintaining the large surface area for heat transfer.

Unfurlable heat pipe

A high performance heat pipe and the method for constructing it. A unique wick structure of sintered metal is formed directly into the heat pipe casing and contains simultaneously formed tunnels which permit the flow of large quantities of liquid with low pressure loss. A method of constructing a hybrid structure with heat pipe sections at both ends of a section used to transport the internal liquid and vapor over long distances is also included.

Tunnel wick heat pipes

A heat pipe wick which can survive freezing of the heat transfer fluid within the heat pipe and return to full operation automatically. A flexible high lift wick is used with a limited liquid inventory to prevent damage from freezing. The limited amount of liquid is completely retained in the wick at all times by capillary forces preventing puddling at the lowest point in the heat pipe, thus avoiding damage to the casing by expansion.

Freeze accommodating heat pipe

A process for producing liquid compatible metals and a heat pipe manufactured by that process. One example of the process comprises the formation of an aluminum oxide surface layer on an aluminum bearing steel alloy by heating the steel to a high temperature in an oxidizing environment.

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, PA, United States of America

George Y Eastman