Raytheon Company

Ratheon Company

Kerrin A Rummel

Richard Martin Weber

Kevin W Chen

William Gerald Wyatt

Brandon H Allen

Albert P Payton

William P Harokopus

Gregory P Schaefer

Gary L Seiferman

Daniel J Weissman

According to one embodiment of the invention, a cooling system for a heat-generating structure comprises a chamber and structure disposed within the chamber. The chamber has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet receives fluid coolant into the chamber substantially in the form of a liquid. The outlet dispenses the fluid coolant out of the chamber at least partially in the form of a vapor. The structure disposed within the chamber receive thermal energy from the heat generating structure and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy to the fluid coolant. The thermal energy from the heat-generating structure causes at least a portion of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and effuse vapor upon contact with a portion of the structure. The effusion of vapor creates a self-induced flow in the chamber. The self-induced flow distributes non-vaporized fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to other portions of the structure.

System and method of boiling heat transfer using self-induced coolant transport and impingements

According to one embodiment, a radome includes two dielectric layers separated by an internal layer. The internal layer is configured with an internal cooling system including a fluid channel that receives a fluid through an inlet port, conducts heat from the radome to the fluid, and exhausts the heated fluid through an outlet port.

Internal cooling system for a radome

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for cooling heat-generating structure disposed in an environment having an ambient pressure. The heat-generating structure includes electronics. The method includes providing a coolant, reducing a pressure of the coolant to a subambient pressure at which the coolant has a boiling temperature less than a temperature of the heat-generating structure, and bringing the heat-generating structure and the coolant at the subambient pressure into contact with one another, so that the coolant boils and vaporizes to thereby absorb heat from the heat-generating structure. In a more particular embodiment the coolant is either pure water or pure methanol with an electrical resistivity level of greater than one million Ohms-cm. Further, in another particular embodiment the method includes filtering the coolant to maintain its purity above a particular level.

Method and apparatus for cooling electronics with a coolant at a subambient pressure

A self-contained cooling system for a phased array antenna includes a cooling structure, a heat exchanger, and a pump for circulating a fluid coolant around a coolant loop. The cooling system receives power from a remote power source. The cooling structure includes a plurality of coolant inlet pipes, a plurality of coolant outlet pipes, and a plurality of cooling platforms. Each of the cooling platforms has a coolant channel that begins at one of the plurality of coolant inlet pipes, terminates at one of the plurality of coolant outlet pipes, and provides a flow path for a fluid coolant. The cooling structure further includes at least one base plate releasably mounted to at least one of the plurality of cooling platforms. One or more antenna elements associated with the phased array antenna are mounted on the base plate releasably mounted to at least one of the plurality of cooling platforms. The flow of the fluid coolant through the coolant channel dissipates thermal energy produced by the one or more antenna elements.

Remote cooling of a phased array antenna

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a cooling system for a heat generating structure comprises a first cooling segment and a second cooling segment. The first cooling segment and the second cooling segment each respectively comprise a cooling segment conduit and at least one cooling segment tube. The cooling segment conduits are operable to receive a fluid coolant and dispense of the fluid coolant after the fluid coolant has received thermal energy. The at least one cooling segment tubes are in thermal communication with both the cooling segment conduits and the heat generating structure. The at least one cooling segment tubes have a cooling fluid operable to transfer thermal energy from the heat generating structure to the cooling segment conduits. The cooling segment conduits transfer thermal energy from the cooling fluid to the fluid coolant. A heat transfer rate associated with the first cooling segment is substantially similar to a heat transfer rate associated with the second cooling segment.

System and method for cooling a heat generating structure

A heat sink which comprises an enclosure having a highly thermally conductive surface region and defining an enclosed cavity. A porous, highly thermally conductive material is disposed in the cavity, preferably homogeneously therein, and is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive surface. A phase change material changing from its initial phase, generally solid, to its final phase, generally liquid, responsive to the absorption of heat is disposed in the enclosed cavity and in the porous material. In accordance with a first embodiment, the highly thermally conductive surface region is preferably aluminum and the porous medium is a highly thermally conductive porous medium, preferably aluminum. In accordance with a second embodiment, the thermally conductive surface is composed of highly thermally conductive fibers disposed in a matrix and the porous material is a plurality of the thermally conductive fibers extending from the thermally conductive surface into the cavity. The highly thermally conductive fibers are preferably graphite and the matrix is preferably an epoxy.

Construction of phase change material embedded electronic circuit boards and electronic circuit board assemblies using porous and fibrous media

A heat-conducting device for conducting heat between a circuit board and an airframe of a missile includes a thermal plane onto which the circuit board is mounted, and a pair of feet that partially protrude from the slots in the thermal plane. Slot-engaging portions of the feet freely float within the slots, allowing repositioning of the feet in two dimensions relative to the slots. Resilient devices such as springs urge outer portions of the feet into contact with the airframe. Locking mechanisms may prevent extension of the feet until after the heat-conducting device is installed in the missile. The feet self-align into contact with the airframe, automatically adjusting to compensate for misalignment and/or warping.

Growing community of inventors

Richardson, TX, United States of America

Kerrin A Rummel