Raytheon Company

Texas Instruments Corporation

James L Haws

Richard Martin Weber

Byron Elliott Short, Jr

William Gerald Wyatt

George F Barson

John H Harrison, Jr

James F Kviatkofsky

Christian O Hemmi

Timothy C Fletcher

Ronald J Richardson

R Thomas Dover

John L Darrouzet

David B Denniston

David B Webb

Lian-Tuu Yeh

An apparatus includes a circuit having a heat-generating circuit component, and structure for guiding a two-phase coolant along a path which brings the coolant into direct physical contact with either the circuit component or a highly thermally conductive part which is thermally coupled to the circuit component. The coolant absorbs heat generated by the circuit component, at least part of the coolant changing from a first phase to a second phase in response to the heat absorbed from the circuit component, where the second phase is different from the first phase.

Method and apparatus for moisture control within a phased array

A cooling apparatus () includes a housing defined by two aluminum parts () which are brazed to each other. A plurality of sector-shaped recesses (-) are provided within the housing, and collectively define a chamber having a plurality of ribs (-) extending therethrough. Each recess contains a sector-shaped piece of porous material (), which is brazed to surfaces of the housing parts. The remaining space within the chamber is filled with a phase change material. Each of the ribs has therein a respective radially extending opening (-) which contains a heat pipe (). Expansion accumulators () are mounted on the housing, and communicate with the chamber therein, in order to accommodate expansion of the phase change material within the chamber as the phase change material is heated.

Method and apparatus for cooling with a phase change material and heat pipes

A heat exchanger extracts heat from a two-phase fluid coolant so that the coolant changes from a vapor state to a liquid state. Two valves have respective inlets which communicate with the coolant in the heat exchanger, and which are physically spaced from each other. Valve control structure responds to the presence of liquid at the inlet to either valve by opening that valve, so that the liquid coolant flows through the valve to a discharge section. A different feature involves a housing with a heat exchanger therein, the heat exchanger having a plurality of coolant conduits that are axially spaced. A flow of air travels axially within the housing, then flows transversely past the conduits to the other side thereof, and then resumes flowing axially on the other side of the conduits.

Method and apparatus for efficient heat exchange in an aircraft or other vehicle

An apparatus includes a housing having a chamber, having a replaceable part which has a moisture adsorption characteristic and which is in communication with the chamber, and having a humidity monitoring section which is responsive to the humidity within the chamber. A method of controlling humidity within a chamber in a housing includes: providing a replaceable part which has a moisture adsorption characteristic and which is in communication with the chamber, and monitoring the humidity within the chamber using a humidity monitoring section which is responsive to the humidity within the chamber.

Method and apparatus for humidity control within a housing

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermal management system for electronic components includes a plastic coldplate having a mounting surface for mounting one or more electronic components, one or more passageways configured to have a fluid flow therethrough disposed within the plastic coldplate, and a highly conductive material disposed within the plastic coldplate and thermally coupled to the mounting surface. The highly conductive material is operable to transfer heat from the mounting surface to the fluid flow.

Thermal management system and method for electronic equipment mounted on coldplates

A cooling apparatus () includes a housing defined by two aluminum parts () which are brazed to each other. A plurality of sector-shaped recesses () are provided within the housing, and collectively define a chamber having a plurality of ribs () extending therethrough. Each recess contains a sector-shaped piece of porous material (), which is brazed to surfaces of the housing parts. The remaining space within the chamber is filled with a phase change material. Each of the ribs has therein a respective radially extending opening () which contains a heat pipe (). Expansion accumulators () are mounted on the housing, and communicate with the chamber therein, in order to accommodate expansion of the phase change material within the chamber as the phase change material is heated.

Method and apparatus for removing heat from a circuit

An antenna system (,) includes circuitry (,) and an antenna unit (,). The antenna unit includes a multi-layer circuit board (,). The circuitry provides radio frequency signals, control signals and power to the circuit board. The circuit board has an array of antenna elements (,) on one side thereof, and has a plurality of modules (,) soldered to and projecting outwardly from the opposite side thereof. The modules each have electronic circuitry thereon, which is electrically coupled to the circuit board. Each module includes a thermal transfer element (,), the heat generated by the electronic components on that module being thermally transferred by the thermal transfer element to a cooling section (,).

Compact phased array antenna system, and a method of operating same

A system for steering an antenna includes a first component that includes a first lens and is operable to perform a first focusing of a plurality of signals to form a plurality of focused signals. The system also includes a second component that includes a second lens and is operable to form a first focused beam by performing a second focusing of the plurality of focused signals. The second component further includes a first splitter and is further operable to split the first focused beam into a first set of intermediate beams. The system further includes a third component that includes a second splitter and is operable to split a particular one of the first set of intermediate beams into a second set of intermediate beams. The third component further includes a first combiner and is further operable to combine a particular one of the second set of intermediate beams with at least one other intermediate beam split from a second focused beam to generate a composite beam. The system includes an additional fourth component that includes a second combiner and is operable to combine the composite beam with at least one other composite beam to generate a steered final composite beam for a particular ground-based cell.

Multi-level system and method for steering an antenna

A system for cooling, positioning and supporting phased array microwave modules within a phased array radar system wherein the modules are disposed in cooling tubes, the cooling tubes being arranged to permit coolant to continuously pass in close proximity thereto along channels formed in a coldplate. The channels can be built into a solid member wherein the cooling tubes are hollowed out portions of the solid with channels for coolant formed in the space between cooling tubes. In alternate embodiments, the channels are formed by the spaces between cooling tubes.

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McKinney, TX, United States of America

James L Haws