Grumman Aerospace Corporation

Other

John A Quadrini

Robert L Kosson

Kevin J Koubek

John Frederick Klein

Vincent Cirrito

Ronald S Dluginski

A variable conductance heat pipe includes an electronic component mounting plate serving as the evaporator of the heat pipe. The evaporator is connected to an air cooled condenser which condenses vapor flowing from the evaporator. The evaporator has a sump located at the lowest gravity point of the evaporator passage. By either vaporizing or pumping liquid from the sump and passing it back through the heat pipe a continuing wetted condition exists in the heat pipe which can accommodate heat dissipation transients by the electronic components. A control loop is closed through the heat pipe for controlling the penetration of an inert gas into the heat pipe condenser to maintain a constant temperature for the electronic components mounted thereto.

Closed loop feedback control variable conductance heat pipe

A serpentine continuous vapor passage is formed in a metal card which mounts electronic components. Elongated channels of the passage evaporate the contained liquid in response to conducted heat from mounted electronic components. By mounting the side edges of the card to heat conductive retaining means, the evaporated fluid becomes condensed at end sections of the passage thereby transferring the heat from the card and converting the evaporated liquid in a gaseous state back to a liquid state. The resultant card is gravity-insensitive and a thermal-resistance path is minimized so that the cooling capability of the card becomes maximized.

Vapor chamber cooled electronic circuit card

Two metal plates have U-shaped grooves formed therein so that the plates may form congruent halves wherein matching grooves complete independent heat pipes. The bight section of each heat pipe serves as an evaporator section while the parallel arms of each heat pipe form condenser sections. A wick is positioned within each heat pipe to improve liquid transport when a module is in a non-upright position. The condenser sections are located coincident with the normally upright edges of each module so that, when the module is upright, the vertically disposed condenser sections of the heat pipe gravity-assist liquid transport to the evaporator section. This arrangement of heat pipe sections along with the wick render the heat pipe gravity-insensitive.

Heat pipe cooled electronic circuit card

A heat pipe including evaporator and condenser sections is located within a stack for reclaiming vaporized metals. The heat pipe is a variable conductance design which employs a communicating reservoir of non-condensable gas for creating a variably positioned interface with the working fluid within the condenser of the heat pipe. The interface varies as a function of the heat load on the condenser and effectively provides a variable control for maintaining efficient, fairly constant heat transfer across the wall of the condenser. Fixed turbulators are mounted to a lower section of the heat pipe for mixing the vaporized metals flowing through the stack thereby increasing the efficiency of heat transfer between the vaporized metals and the heat pipe. The result is a compact and environmentally rugged heat pipe design.

Heat pipe for reclaiming vaporized metal

A wick system is disclosed comprising a casing, a wall capillary and a mesh screen wick having at least one artery structure used in conjunction with a closed or open system while in contact with the wall capillary. The wick system may be used in a vertical or inclined position with a condenser at the top.

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Northport, NY, United States of America

John A Quadrini