JP2019113310A - Thermosiphon with integrated components - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a thermosiphon device that includes an evaporator section that is formed as a single integrated part including one or more evaporation channels and a liquid return path, and/or includes a condenser section that is formed as a single integrated part including one or more condensing channels and a vapor supply path.SOLUTION: A manifold may include vapor and liquid chambers that are separate from each other and that fluidly connect the evaporation channels with the vapor supply path and fluidly connect the condensing channels with the liquid return path, respectively. Portions of the evaporator or condenser section that define the liquid return path or vapor supply path, respectively, may be free of any fins or other thermal transfer structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates generally to thermosiphon devices and other heat transfer devices employing a two phase cooling fluid.

  Thermosiphon devices are widely used in cooling systems such as integrated circuits and other computer circuits. For example, US Patent Publication No. 2013/0104592 discloses a thermosiphon cooler used to cool electronic components disposed in a cabinet or other enclosure.

  According to one aspect of the invention, the liquid return path of the thermosiphon device may be integrated as a single integral part with one or more evaporation paths of the device. Additionally or alternatively, the vapor supply path of the thermosyphon device may be integrated as a single integral part with one or more condensation paths of the device. This means that the liquid return path (conducting condensed cooling liquid from the condenser section to the evaporator section) and the vapor feed path (conducting the evaporation liquid from the evaporator section to the condenser section) In contrast to devices which are arranged as separate parts in a relationship. For example, such a device is arranged with a dedicated liquid return conduit and a vapor supply conduit that directs liquid / vapor to the desired part of the thermosyphon device. At least in some cases, for example, while trying to prevent the circulation flow in the apparatus from being interrupted by premature evaporation of the liquid in the liquid return conduit or premature condensation of the vapor in the vapor supply conduit. So, this approach is taken. As understood by those skilled in the art, such premature evaporation / condensation can interrupt the circulation flow in the thermosyphon device, which occurs only by gravity, without the use of a pump or other fluid transfer device. is there. However, according to aspects of the present invention, integration of the liquid return path to one or more evaporation paths and / or integration of a vapor supply path to one or more condensation paths without interrupting the flow in the thermosyphon device. Can be successful.

  For example, in some embodiments, a conductive heat transfer structure, such as a plurality of fins, may provide heat transfer contact directly to the portion of the evaporator section adjacent to one or more evaporation paths; It is not necessary to perform heat transfer contact directly on the portion adjacent to the return path. As a result, the fins or other structures do not transfer heat to the liquid return path and keep the liquid in the liquid return path liquid until provided in the evaporation path. Similarly, a conductive heat transfer structure, such as a plurality of fins, may provide heat transfer contact directly to the portion of the condenser section adjacent to the one or more condensation paths, but the portion adjacent to the steam supply path There is no need for direct conductive contact. As a result, the fins or other structures do not receive heat from the steam supply and maintain the steam in the steam supply until it is provided in the condensation path.

  In another aspect of the present invention, one manifold having separated vapor and liquid chambers is used to fluidly connect the evaporation path of the evaporator section to the vapor supply path of the condenser section and to condense the condenser section The path may be fluidly connected to the liquid return path of the evaporator section. In some embodiments, separation walls in the interior space of the manifold may separate the interior space into a liquid chamber and a vapor chamber. In addition, the separation wall effectively divides the condensation path and the vapor supply path on both sides of the wall, and divides the vapor path and the liquid return path on both sides of the wall, that is, the condensation path and the liquid return path. The evaporator portion and the condenser portion of the apparatus may be engaged to communicate with the liquid chamber and to communicate the vapor supply path and the evaporation path to the vapor chamber. This is in contrast to other thermosyphon arrangements that use a separate conduit and / or manifold arrangement that connects the condensation and liquid return paths and connects the evaporation and vapor supply paths. By using one manifold, the device can be simplified and its assembly can be simplified.

  In one aspect, the thermosiphon cooling device includes at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat and evaporate the liquid therein, and a liquid return path delivering the condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path. Includes the evaporator section. The condenser unit is configured to transfer heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, thereby delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid, and to the at least one condensation path. including. The manifold may fluidly connect at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path and fluidly connect at least one condensation path to the liquid return path. In some embodiments, the at least one evaporation pathway and the liquid return pathway may be integrated as a single unitary component, and / or the at least one condensation pathway and the vapor supply pathway are a single unit. It may be integrated as a part.

  In some embodiments, the manifold includes an outer wall defining an inner cavity and a separation wall disposed within the inner cavity and separating the inner cavity into a vapor chamber and a liquid chamber. The outer wall includes a plurality of openings each receiving a corresponding evaporator portion or a manifold end of a condenser portion, eg, one or more evaporator portions are received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings The separation wall may be engaged such that at least one evaporation path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber and the liquid return path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber. Also, one or more condenser sections are received in corresponding ones of the plurality of openings, such that at least one condensation path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber and the vapor supply path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber , May be engaged with the separation wall.

  In some embodiments, the plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path of each evaporator section are disposed parallel to the liquid return path at one edge of the evaporator section, and the plurality of condensation paths of each condenser section and The steam feed is arranged parallel to the steam feed at one edge of the condenser section. For example, the evaporator and condenser sections may be formed as flat tubes with a plurality of evaporator paths and liquid return paths, or a plurality of paths defining condenser paths and vapor supply paths. Each evaporator section and each condenser section may have each manifold end engaged with the opposite manifold to the turn of that section. The separation wall of the manifold is engaged with the evaporator section and the condenser section so that the evaporation path and the liquid return path are provided on both sides of the separation wall, and the condensation path and the steam supply path are provided on both sides of the separation wall. It is also good. The cap may close the turn of each part and fluidly connect each evaporation or condensation path to the corresponding liquid return or vapor supply path. The cap may also include a conduit for fluid communication with an adjacent cap, for example, such that the evaporator or condenser section is fluidly connected at the turn.

  In some embodiments, the evaporator heat transfer structure may be in direct thermal contact with a portion of the evaporator section, and the condenser heat transfer structure may be directly thermal with a portion of the condenser section A contact may be made. In some cases, the portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the liquid return path does not contact the evaporator heat transfer structure and the section of the condenser section adjacent to the vapor supply path does not contact the condenser heat transfer structure. Thereby, the heat transfer in the portion of the evaporator portion and the condenser portion may be reduced.

  In another aspect, the thermosiphon cooler includes at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat to evaporate the liquid therein, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path. A steam supply path for delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid by transferring the heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, and And a condenser portion. One manifold fluidizes at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path such that the vapor chamber and the liquid chamber are separated by the separation wall in the manifold, and at least one condensation path fluid to the liquid return path It has a fluid chamber to connect.

  In some embodiments, one manifold defines an inner cavity and a separation wall disposed within the inner cavity, and includes an outer wall separating the inner cavity into a vapor chamber and the liquid chamber. The outer wall includes a plurality of openings each receiving a corresponding evaporator portion or condenser portion, eg, one or more evaporator portions are received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings, at least one evaporation A passage may be in fluid communication with the vapor chamber and the liquid return passage may be engaged with the separation wall so as to be in fluid communication with the liquid chamber. Similarly, one or more condenser sections are received in corresponding ones of the plurality of openings, such that at least one condensation path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber and the vapor supply path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber May be engaged with the separation wall. The separation wall includes a plurality of vapor chamber openings each receiving a corresponding portion of the condenser portion including the vapor supply path, and a plurality of liquid chamber openings each receiving the corresponding portion of the evaporator portion including the liquid return path, For example, the evaporation path and the liquid return path may be provided on both sides of the separation wall, and the condensation path and the vapor supply path may be provided on both sides of the separation wall.

  As mentioned above, the evaporator section and the condenser section are, for example, a plurality of evaporation paths and liquid return paths arranged parallel to the liquid return path or the vapor supply path at one edge of the evaporator section or the condenser section. Or may be formed as a single integral piece including multiple condensation paths and a steam supply path. Also, the evaporator heat transfer structure may be in direct thermal contact with parts of the evaporator part, and the condenser heat transfer structure may be in direct thermal contact with parts of the condenser part Good. The portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the liquid return may not be in contact with the evaporator heat transfer structure, and the portion of the condenser section adjacent to the vapor supply may not be in contact with the condenser heat transfer structure.

  In another aspect, the thermosiphon cooler includes at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat to evaporate the liquid therein, and a liquid return path delivering the condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path. A steam supply path for delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid by transferring the heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, and And a condenser portion. The manifold may fluidly connect at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path and fluidly connect at least one condensation path to the liquid return path. The conductive heat transfer structure provides heat conductive contact only to the portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the at least one evaporation path, or to the part of the condenser section adjacent to the at least one condensation path, the conductive heat transfer structure And, the portion of the evaporator portion adjacent to the liquid return path does not have any conductive heat transfer structure, and the portion of the condenser portion adjacent to the vapor supply path does not have any conductive heat transfer structure , The heat may be conductively transferred to the at least one evaporation path and / or the at least one condensation path.

  The conductive heat transfer structure is in thermally conductive contact with the portion of the evaporator portion adjacent to the at least one evaporation path and / or thermal contact to the portion of the condenser portion adjacent to the at least one condensation path May include multiple fins.

  These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

  The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate selected embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, explain the principles of the present invention. .

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a thermosiphon device in an exemplary embodiment incorporating aspects of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a manifold and separation wall engaged with the evaporator section and the condenser section in an example embodiment. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 2; A close up view of the upper end of the condenser section is shown in the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 2 shows a close-up view including a partial cross-sectional view of the upper end of the condenser section of the embodiment of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment including a manifold at the end of the condenser section and the evaporator section. FIG. 1 is a side view of a cooling device including three thermosiphon devices. Fig. 8 shows a close-up view of the manifold of the thermosiphon device of Fig. 7; FIG. 7 shows a close up view of an alternative manifold arrangement with flanges formed as clad sheets. Figure 10 shows a clad sheet flange of the embodiment of Figure 9; 7 shows another flange arrangement formed as a flat sheet. Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which the cladding part is provided with an evaporator part or a condenser part receiving opening. FIG. 6 shows a close up view of an alternative arrangement for providing an evaporator or condenser section receiving opening in the manifold. Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a manifold in which the outer wall is formed in two parts. Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a manifold in which the outer wall and the separation wall are formed from a single flex sheet. FIG. 16 shows the manifold of FIG. 15 engaged with the evaporator section and the condenser section in an example embodiment. 7 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a thermosyphon device that includes a plurality of manifolds. Figure 18 shows a close-up cross-sectional view of the manifold in the embodiment of Figure 17; FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a thermosiphon device that includes a heat transfer structure arranged as a flat plate with a slot for receiving each evaporator section. Figure 20 shows a perspective view of the heat transfer structure of Figure 19; Figure 20 shows a side view of the heat transfer structure of Figure 19; Figure 18 shows a variant of the arrangement of Figure 19 with the evaporator and condenser sections arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to each other.

  Aspects of the present invention are not limited in application to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Other embodiments may be employed, and aspects of the invention may be implemented or practiced in various ways. Also, the aspects of the invention may be used alone or in any suitable combination with one another. Accordingly, the phrases and terms used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

  FIG. 1 shows an example embodiment of a thermosiphon device 10 used, for example, to cool an electronic device in a closed cabinet or other enclosure 6. That is, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, one or more of the evaporator sections 2 of the apparatus 10 may be disposed within the enclosure 6 sealed with the electronic device or other heat generating device to be cooled. . One or more condensers 1 may be disposed outside the sealed enclosure 6 and dissipate heat received from the evaporator unit 2 to the environment outside the sealed enclosure 6, for example. You may The flange 33 on the manifold 3 of the device 10 is engaged with the opening of the sealed enclosure to seal the enclosure 6 and between the inner part of the enclosure 6 and the external environment of the enclosure You may define the division point of By providing the evaporator section 2 inside the enclosed enclosure 6 and the condenser section 1 outside the enclosure 6, the devices in the enclosure 6 are protected from external conditions For example, it may be cooled while contained in an environment protected from dirt, dust, contamination, moisture and the like. It should be appreciated that the use of a thermosiphon device with a sealed enclosure is not required, for example, the device may be a heat generating device to be cooled be one or more evaporator sections 2 of the device 10 It may be used in a fully open system thermally coupled to

  In a simplified form, the thermosyphon device 10 operates to cool the heat generating device by receiving heat in the evaporator section 2 so that the liquid in the evaporation path 22 boils or evaporates. The heat is transmitted by the warm (heated by the heat generating device) air, which in the alternative is directly a heat transfer path, one or more heat pipes, across the heat transfer structure 23 thermally coupled to the evaporation path 22. It may be received at the evaporation path 22 by a liquid heat exchanger or the like. The vapor flows upward from the evaporation path 22 into the vapor chamber 32 of the manifold 3 and then flows into the vapor feed path 11 of the condenser section 1. The steam continues to flow upward in the steam supply passage 11 until it reaches the turning portion 14 of the condenser unit 1. At this point, the vapor flows downward into one or more condensation paths 12 of the condenser section 1 where the vapor is condensed to liquid and flows downward into the liquid chamber 31 of the manifold. During condensation, the heat removed from the vapor is conductively connected to a heat transfer structure 13 connected to the condensation path 12, for example to the condenser part 1 adjacent to the condensation path 12 May be transmitted to the fins of the Heat may then be removed from the heat transfer structure 13 by the cooling air flowing through the structure 13, by a liquid bath, a liquid heat exchanger, a refrigerant coil, or other arrangement. The condensed liquid flows downward from the condensation path 12 into the liquid chamber 31 and then flows into the liquid return path 21 of the evaporator section 2 until it reaches the turning section 24 of the evaporator section 2. The liquid then enters the evaporator path 22 and the process is repeated.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the condenser part 1 and / or the evaporator part 2 may be arranged as a single integral part. That is, the condenser unit 1 may include one or more condensation paths 12 and the steam supply path 11 as one component, for example, as an extruded tube having two or more paths. Similarly, the evaporator section 2 may include one or more evaporation paths 22 and a liquid return path 21 both formed as one piece. Such an arrangement may simplify the construction and assembly of the device, for example by removing any need to separately assemble the vapor supply conduit and the liquid return conduit to communicate with the condensation and evaporation paths.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a single manifold is used to fluidly connect the evaporator path of the evaporator to the vapor feed path of the condenser section, and the condenser path of the condenser section is liquid of the evaporator section It may be fluidly connected to the return path. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the manifold 3 includes an outer wall 34 defining an inner space. In the present embodiment, the outer wall 34 has a cylindrical shape, but any other suitable shape is also possible. The separation wall 35 is disposed in the manifold 3 and separates the inner space into a liquid chamber 31 and a vapor chamber 32. This arrangement provides a simple and effective way to fluidly connect portions of the thermosiphon device 10. Also, as will be described in more detail below, the separation wall 35 fluidly connects the condenser path 12 and the liquid return path 21 with the liquid chamber 31 and fluidly connects the evaporator path 22 and the vapor supply path 11 with the vapor chamber 32. Thus, it may be engaged with the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2. As a result, assembly can be simplified and the number of parts and / or assembly steps to make the required fluid connections can be minimized.

  In FIG. 2, the condenser section 1 and the evaporator section 2 are provided such that the condensation path 12 and the vapor supply path 11 are provided on both sides of the separation wall 35 and the evaporator path 22 and the liquid return path 21 are provided on both sides of the separation wall 35. And a cross-sectional view of the manifold 3 and the separation wall 35 engaged with each other. In this example embodiment, the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 are formed as flat tubes with a plurality of parallel paths, and the manifold end of each condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 is, for example, an outer wall The inner space of the manifold 3 may be inserted through the opening 34. The separation wall 35 includes a slot or other opening for receiving a portion of the condenser end 1 and the manifold end of the evaporator portion 2 so that the vapor chamber can be made to different portions of the condenser portion 1 and the evaporator portion 2 32 and the fluid chamber 31 may be provided with the desired communication. For example, the separation wall 35 may include a liquid chamber slot or opening that receives the portion of the evaporator section 2 (right side in FIG. 2) that defines the liquid return path 21. However, the portion of the evaporator section 2 (left side in FIG. 2) defining the evaporation path 22 is not received in the liquid chamber slot or opening of the separation wall 35. As a result, the liquid return path 21 is in communication with the liquid chamber 31 and the evaporation path 22 is in communication with the vapor chamber 32. Similarly, the separation wall 35 receives a portion of the condenser section 1 (left side in FIG. 2) defining the vapor supply path 11 but not the portion defining the condenser path 12 (right side in FIG. 2) It may include a chamber slot or opening. Thus, the vapor feed channel 11 is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber 32 and the condensation channel 12 is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber 31. In the present embodiment, the separation wall 35 is formed as a flat plate received in a corresponding groove formed inside the outer wall 34, but other arrangements are possible. For example, the separation wall 35 need not be flat but may be curved or may have any suitable shape. In use, the inner grooves of the outer wall 34 may be formed by scoring, broaching, casting, extrusion, or other techniques.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the condenser section 1 of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3, showing an embodiment incorporating another aspect of the present invention. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat transfer structure 13 (in this case, a fin) is disposed to be in direct heat transfer communication with a part of the main body of the condenser unit 1 adjacent to the condensation path 12. For example, the fins are brazed, soldered, or directly in heat conductive contact with the body of the condenser part 1. However, the portion of the body of the condenser section 1 adjacent to the steam supply 11 does not have a heat transfer structure 13. As a matter of fact, these parts of the body of the condenser part 1 adjacent to the steam supply 11 are made of thermal insulation and / or thermal insulation coating or coating to minimize heat transfer. It may be By having the portion of the condenser section 1 adjacent to the steam feed 11 without the heat transfer structure 13, the steam in the steam feed 11 cools the heat more gradually compared to otherwise. Alternatively, the steam may be maintained as steam until lost, and thus provided to the condensation path 12. This may help maintain the desired circulating flow within the thermosyphon device 10. In other arrangements, the heat transfer structure 13 may extend above the area adjacent the steam supply 11, for example, to increase the surface area of the structure 13, but the structure 13 is a portion adjacent to the steam supply 11 It is not necessary to perform heat transfer contact directly. For example, in FIG. 3, the fins extend to the left above the steam supply path 11, but may not be in direct thermal contact with the condenser section 1 adjacent to the path 11. Thereby, the surface area of the fins may be increased, and the heat transfer characteristics to the steam may be improved while the heat transfer to the steam supply path 11 may be reduced.

  The heat transfer structure 13 is shown as including one or more fins on one side of the condenser part 1 but with fins on both sides of the condenser part 1, a cooling plate or other liquid in contact with the condenser part Other arrangements are possible, such as providing a heat exchanger portion, or providing ice or other relatively cool liquid or solid change material in contact with the condenser portion. In addition, the evaporator unit 1 is in direct thermal contact only with the portion of the main body of the evaporator unit 2 adjacent to the evaporation path 22 and has a heat transfer structure 23 not in contact with the liquid return path 21 as well. Or alternatively may be arranged. Similarly, as mentioned above, the portion of the body of the evaporator section 2 adjacent to the liquid return line 21 may be thermally insulated or arranged to minimize heat transfer. As will be appreciated, this can help to reduce the heat transfer to the liquid in the liquid return line 21 and can help keep the liquid liquid until it reaches the evaporation path 22. This arrangement can be seen in FIG. 1, which shows that the heat transfer structure 23 is not above the area of the liquid return channel 21 and the heat transfer structure 13 is not above the area of the vapor feed channel 11. Is shown.

  In another aspect of the invention, the heat helps to reduce the heat transfer with the steam supply 11 and / or the liquid return 21 or the condensation path 12 or more than for the vapor supply 11 or the liquid return 21. Other ways of providing a higher heat transfer rate to the evaporation path 22 may be removed from the condenser section 1 or transmitted to the evaporator section 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the condensation path 12 (or evaporation path 22) may provide more surface area inside the path than the vapor feed path 11, for example by a curved surface or other surface. This may help to increase the heat transfer from the vapor in the passage 12 to the body of the condenser part 1. This technique can also be used for the evaporator section 2. As another example, in FIG. 1, the flow of cooling air according to one embodiment may be directed from right to left above the condenser part 1, the flow of warm air being of the evaporator part 2. It may be directed from left to right in the upper direction. Thus, the flow of cooling air first flows above the heat transfer structure 13 and becomes warmer when it reaches the steam supply path 11, and the flow of warm air flows first above the heat transfer structure 23 and the liquid return path 21. It gets colder when it reaches In summary, any heat transfer configuration that minimizes heat transfer with the vapor feed path 11 and / or the liquid return path 21 is particularly useful when implementing an integrated condenser and / or evaporator section. obtain.

  In at least some embodiments, the steam supply path 11 is fluidly connected to the condensation path 12 at the turn end of the condenser section 1 and the liquid return path 21 is the evaporator at the turn end of the evaporator section 2. The fluid connection to the path 22 may be implemented in a relatively simple manner. For example, FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of the turn 14 of the condenser part 1 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, which is formed as a cap in this arrangement. Note that the furthest forward turn cap 14 and condenser section 1 are shown in cross section so that the cavity 141 defined by the turn 14 fluidly connecting the steam feed 11 and the condenser path 12 is visible. I want to be The turns 14 each have an opening at the bottom that receives the end of the turn of the condenser section 1. Also, in the present embodiment, the turning portion 14 includes a communication port 142 that causes fluid communication between the cavities 141 of the adjacent turning portions 14. Thereby, the pressure may be made uniform across the condenser unit 1. FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the turn 14 and how the communication openings 142 may be joined together to define a path 143 between adjacent cavities 141 (eg brazing, bonding Agents etc. are shown better. Although not shown, the turning portion 24 of the evaporator unit 2 is, for example, a cap that covers the end of each evaporator unit 2 to provide fluid communication between the liquid return path 21 and the evaporation path 22. It should be noted that it may be arranged in the same way as the turn 14. The turn section 24 may include a communication port 142 similar to the turn section 14 in FIGS. 4 and 5, but it will be appreciated that the communication port 142 is not required or otherwise configured. Can. For example, FIG. 6 shows another exemplary embodiment in which the ends of the condensers 1 and the evaporators 2 are connected to the tubular manifold 5 extending between the plurality of condensers 1 and the evaporators 2. Is shown. Therefore, the manifold 5 connects the vapor return path 11 and the condenser path 12 of each condenser section 1 or connects the liquid return path 21 and the evaporation path 22 of each evaporator section 2 to each other, and these paths And the paths of the other condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2. In other embodiments, the cap turns 14, 24 need not be in communication with the adjacent turns 14, 24, but instead may only be in communication with the corresponding condenser part 1 / evaporator part 2. Good.

  In the embodiment described above, the thermosiphon device 10 is arranged as a planar structure, but such an arrangement is not necessary, and the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 may have any suitable angle with respect to each other. It may be arranged in For example, FIG. 7 shows an example embodiment comprising three thermosiphon devices 10 having a condenser part 1 and an evaporator part 2 in which the cooling devices are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to one another. In the present embodiment, the device 10 is associated with the enclosure 6 including the upper enclosure 6 a and the lower enclosure 6 b separated by the wall 61. The evaporator section 2 of the apparatus 10 is disposed in the lower enclosure 6b sealed from the external environment, and the condenser section 1 is connected from the lower enclosure 6b by a wall 61 to which the flange 33 of the manifold 3 may be connected. It is disposed in the isolated upper enclosure 6a. The upper enclosure 6a may or may not be isolated from the external environment. For example, the flow of cooling air may enter from the outside of the upper enclosure 6 a and pass over the condenser unit 1 by, for example, sending air into the upper enclosure 6 a by a fan. Of course, this is merely an example embodiment and other configurations are possible.

  FIG. 8 shows a close-up view of the manifold 3 of one of the thermosiphon devices 10 of the embodiment of FIG. This arrangement is somewhat similar to that of FIG. 1, but the engagement of the condenser section 1 and the evaporator section 2 with the manifold 3 and the separation wall 35 is such that it accommodates the angled configuration of the device 10 Slightly corrected to. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the flanges 33 are formed as a single piece with the outer wall 34, but this is not necessary, for example, the flanges 33 may be eliminated or otherwise modified be able to. For example, FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the flange 33 is configured as a flex plate or cladding attached to the outside of the outer wall 34 of the manifold 3. FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the flange 33 separated from the manifold 3 and shows a series of openings 331 formed in the flange 33 into which the evaporator part 2 is inserted. However, it is not necessary to have one of the openings 331 for each evaporator part 2, FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which the flange 33 is formed as a flat plate with a single opening for receiving the manifold 3. Is shown. That is, the flange 33 may receive the manifold 3 at its central opening so that a portion of the flange 33 extends away from the manifold 3 in the region between the condenser portion 1 and the evaporator portion 2. As in the other embodiments, the flanges 33 can be fixed to the manifold 3 and / or the evaporator section 2 or the condenser section 1 by brazing, an adhesive or the like.

  In the embodiment described above, the outer wall 34 of the manifold 3 is made as a single piece, but other arrangements are possible. For example, FIG. 12 shows two parts in which the manifold 3 includes an outer wall 34 having a C-shaped cross section and a bending plate 341 including a plurality of openings 342 for receiving the condenser portion 1 or the evaporator portion 2. It shows an embodiment to be created. Such an arrangement may facilitate assembly in some circumstances, for example, by assembling the flexure plate 341 on the condenser section 1 or the evaporator section 2 prior to assembly with the outer wall 34. In other embodiments, the flexure plate 341 may incorporate a flange 33 and may be formed, for example, as shown in FIGS. Alternatively, the manifold 3 may include two flexing plates 341 as shown in FIG. 12, one for the condenser part 1 and the other for the evaporator part 2 and joined together. Form the manifold 3. The simple slot-type opening 342 shown in FIG. 12 may be used to receive the condenser section 1 or the evaporator section 2 in the manifold 3, but other arrangements are possible, such as that shown in FIG. . The openings 342 shown in FIG. 13 may help to properly align the condenser section 1 or the evaporator section 2 with respect to the manifold 3 and may be formed in any suitable manner, such as drawing, machining, molding, etc. It may be provided in a single piece manifold 3 or in an arrangement as shown in FIG. If the flanges 33 and / or the manifold parts (plates 341 etc.) are provided in a clad form, these parts may for example be brazed to join all the manifold 3, the flanges 33 and the evaporator part 2 / condenser part 1 simultaneously. It may be joined together in a single operation, such as operation, and may be connected to the condenser section 1 / evaporator section 2. The heat transfer structures 13, 23 and / or the turns 14, 24 may be joined to the condenser part 1 / evaporator part 2 as part of the same single operation. Thus, all or some of the components of thermosiphon device 10 may be assembled and secured together by a single operation, such as brazing, soldering, or other techniques.

  FIG. 14 shows yet another example embodiment of the manifold 3. In this arrangement, manifold 3 includes two wall portions 34a and 34b, which may be pressed, molded, drawn, machined, or otherwise formed. The first wall portion 34a is received in the corresponding groove of the second wall portion 34b, but other configurations are also possible, such as welding or adhesives at butt joints, and others. As an effect on the arrangement of FIG. 14, the opening which needs to receive the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 prior to the assembly with the second wall part 34b and / or the first wall part It may be formed in the first wall portion 34a prior to bending or otherwise forming the portion 34a. This configuration allows the separation wall 35 to be mounted relatively easily in the inner space of the manifold 3 prior to mounting the first wall portion 34a and the second wall portion 34b together. The present embodiment also shows that the separation wall 35 may be bent in any suitable manner, and in this embodiment is an open end slot rather than a closed opening as in the embodiment of FIG. Are formed at the end of the separation wall 35 and configured to receive the manifold end of the condenser section 1 and the evaporator section 2. FIG. 14 also shows that the flange 33 may be formed as a flexing part of the first wall portion 34a.

  15 and 16 illustrate another exemplary embodiment in which the outer wall 34 of the manifold and the separation wall 35 may be formed from a single flex sheet. As seen in FIG. 15, a single sheet receives the openings 342 (in the outer wall 34 portion) for the condenser section 1 and the evaporator section 2 and the manifold ends of the condenser section 1 and the evaporator section 2 An opening 351 (in the part of the separating wall 35) for engaging them, the evaporation / condensation path and the vapor supply / liquid return path being formed in fluid communication with the vapor path 31 and the liquid path 32 It is also good. One end of the flexed sheet may be joined to the other portion of the sheet at junction 37 by, for example, one or more rivets 36, welding, brazing, or other techniques as shown in FIG. Condenser section 1 and evaporator section 2 may be brazed or otherwise attached to outer wall 34 and separation wall 35, as desired and consistent with the other embodiments described above. Good.

  Although the above embodiment shows the configuration in which the manifold 3 is connected to the plurality of condenser sections 1 and the evaporator sections 2, this is not essential. For example, FIG. 17 shows an embodiment in which a single manifold 3 interconnects each condenser section 1 and evaporator section 2. The individual manifolds 3 may include communication openings similar to the turns 14 of FIG. 4, although such connections are not required. FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectional view of the manifold 3 in the embodiment of FIG. 17, how the manifold ends of the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 are received in the respective upper and lower openings of the manifold 3 Show what. At the ends of the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2, the evaporator path 22 and the vapor supply line 11 are in fluid communication with the vapor chamber 32, and the condenser path 12 and the liquid return path 21 are in fluid communication with the liquid chamber 31. , Until it collides with the separation wall 35, it is inserted into the opening. That is, in the separation wall 35, the condenser section is arranged such that the evaporator path 22 and the liquid return path 21 are provided on both sides of the separation wall 35, and the vapor supply line 11 and the condenser path 12 are provided on both sides of the separation wall 35. 1 and the end of the evaporator part 2 are engaged. This arrangement allows the condenser portion 1 and the evaporator portion 2 to be assembled relatively easily and efficiently in the manifold 3 and to provide the necessary fluid connections as well as the physical on-board connection. The embodiment also shows that the manifold 3 has an integral flange 33 at its lower end, which cooperates with the flanges 33 on the other manifolds 3, for example the evaporator section 1 and In combination with the two surrounding enclosures, an airtight barrier between the condenser part 1 and the evaporator part 2 may be created.

  As mentioned above, the heat transfer structures 13, 23 are not limited to fins, as shown in the exemplary embodiment. 19 to 21 are formed as a substantially flat plate with grooves 231 arranged to receive and thermally couple the corresponding evaporator section 2 with the heat transfer structure 23 of the evaporator section 2 Show another embodiment. The heat transfer structure 23 may be attached to the evaporator section 2 by brazing, an adhesive or the like, which may improve the thermal connection between the evaporator section 2 and the heat transfer structure 23. The heat generating device may be thermally coupled to the heat transfer structure 23, for example, on its flat surface shown in FIG. 19; for example, these devices may be mounted directly to the structure 23. In the heat transfer structure 23 in the present embodiment, the portion of the evaporator unit 2 adjacent to the liquid return passage 21 (or the vapor supply passage 11 when used together with the condenser unit 1) has any heat transfer structure 23. It will be appreciated that aspects of the invention may be incorporated that do not have to be, for example, helping to reduce the heat transfer to the liquid in the liquid return line 21. For example, the evaporator portion 2 may be received in the groove 231 so that the portion forming the liquid return path 21 is not received in the groove 231 but instead protrudes from the groove 231. By appropriately setting the size of the groove portion 231, direct thermal contact between the heat transfer structure 23 and the portion of the evaporator portion 2 adjacent to the liquid return path 21 may be avoided.

  As with the other embodiments, the embodiment of FIG. 19 has the evaporator portion 2 and the condenser portion 1 arranged at any suitable angle, such as about 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. Good. This configuration may be useful, for example, to place the heat transfer structure 23 on top of the heat generating device or other component where the heat transfer structure 23 receives heat. The heat transfer structure 23 is pushed into contact with the heat source (e.g. clamped) or otherwise arranged to transfer the heat removed by the thermosiphon device 10 to the condenser part 1 I will receive it.

  The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and many modifications may be made in light of the above teachings. And changes are possible. The present embodiments have been chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and various embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art in a manner suitable for the particular use considered. And various modifications to make the present invention usable. Although the above description contains numerous specifications, these should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as an illustration of its alternative embodiments.

  The indefinite article "one" used in the present specification and claims is to be understood as meaning "at least one" unless expressly stated to the contrary.

  The phrase "and / or" as used in the present specification and claims refers to any of the combined elements, ie, optionally present in connection or in some cases not connected. It must be understood to mean “or both”. Multiple elements listed under "and / or" should be understood as well, ie, "one or more" of the associated elements. In addition to the elements identified in the phrase "and / or", other elements may optionally be present, whether or not associated with the identified elements.

  In the specification, "include", "include", "have", "include", "include" and / or their conjugations include the items listed along with them, their equivalents, and further additional items. It means to cover.

  Unless expressly stated to the contrary, any method claimed in the present application, including more than one step or operation, in which order of the steps or operations of the method is stated step or operation of the method It should also be understood that the order is not necessarily limited.

While aspects of the invention have been described with reference to various example embodiments, such aspects are not limited to the described embodiments. Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations, modifications and alterations will be apparent to the described embodiments. Thus, the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the aspects of the invention.

Claims (34)

A thermosiphon cooling device,
An evaporator section including at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat to evaporate liquid therein, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path;
Condensation including at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid by transferring heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, and a vapor feed path delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path , And
Fluidly connecting the at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path and fluidly connecting the at least one condensation path to the liquid return path;
The at least one evaporation path and the liquid return path may be integrated as a single unitary component, or
The device, wherein the at least one condensation path and the steam supply path are integrated as a single unitary component.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manifold includes an outer wall defining an inner cavity and a separation wall disposed within the inner cavity and separating the inner cavity into a vapor chamber and a liquid chamber.   The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the outer wall includes a plurality of openings each receiving a manifold end of a corresponding evaporator or condenser section.   The evaporator portion is received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings such that the at least one evaporation path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber and the liquid return path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus engages the separation wall.   The condenser portion is received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings such that the at least one condensation path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber and the vapor supply path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber 5. The apparatus of claim 4 engaged with the separation wall.   6. The apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a plurality of evaporator sections and a plurality of condenser sections, each being received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings and engaging the separation wall. Device described. Each said evaporator part is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and said liquid return path,
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each condenser section is formed as a single integral piece including a plurality of condensing paths and the steam supply path. The plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path are disposed parallel to the liquid return path at one edge of the evaporator section.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of condensing paths and the vapor supply path are disposed parallel to the vapor supply path at one edge of the condenser section. Each evaporator section and each condenser section has a respective manifold end engaged with the manifold opposite to the turn section,
The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a cap closes the turning portion and fluidly connects each of the evaporation paths or the condensation path to the corresponding liquid return path or the vapor supply path. Further comprising a plurality of evaporator sections and a plurality of condenser sections;
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each cap comprises a conduit for providing fluid communication with an adjacent cap corresponding to the other evaporator or condenser section. Each evaporator section is formed as a flat tube with a plurality of evaporator paths and a plurality of paths defining a liquid return path;
The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each condenser section is formed as a flat tube with a plurality of condenser paths and a plurality of paths defining the steam supply path. The evaporator section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path,
The condenser section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of condensation paths and the steam supply path;
The evaporator portion and the condensation may be arranged such that the evaporation path and the liquid return path are provided on both sides of the separation wall, and the condensation path and the vapor supply path are provided on both sides of the separation wall. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus engages with the vessel part.   The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an evaporator heat transfer structure in direct thermal contact with the portion of the evaporator section and a condenser heat transfer structure in direct thermal contact with the section of the condenser section. . The evaporator section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path,
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the liquid return path does not contact the evaporator heat transfer structure. The condenser section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of condensation paths and the steam supply path;
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the portion of the condenser section adjacent to the steam supply does not contact the condenser heat transfer structure. A thermosiphon cooling device,
An evaporator section including at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat to evaporate liquid therein, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path;
Condensation including at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid by transferring heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, and a vapor feed path delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path , And
A vapor chamber fluidly connecting the at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path; and a manifold having a liquid chamber fluidly connecting the at least one condensation path to the liquid return path;
The apparatus wherein the vapor chamber and the liquid chamber are separated by separation walls in the manifold.   17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one manifold defines an inner cavity and a separation wall disposed within the inner cavity and includes an outer wall separating the inner cavity into the vapor chamber and the liquid chamber. apparatus.   18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the outer wall includes a plurality of openings each receiving a corresponding evaporator section or condenser section.   The evaporator portion is received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings such that the at least one evaporation path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber and the liquid return path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber 19. The apparatus of claim 18, engaged with the separation wall.   The condenser portion is received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings such that the at least one condensation path is in fluid communication with the liquid chamber and the vapor supply path is in fluid communication with the vapor chamber 20. The apparatus of claim 19, engaged with the separation wall.   21. The apparatus according to claim 20, comprising a plurality of evaporator sections and a plurality of condenser sections, each being received in a corresponding one of the plurality of openings and engaging the separation wall. Device described. Each said evaporator part is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and said liquid return path,
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each condenser section is formed as a single integral piece including a plurality of condensing paths and the steam supply path. The plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path are disposed parallel to the liquid return path at one edge of the evaporator section.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of condensing paths and the vapor supply path are disposed parallel to the vapor supply path at one edge of the condenser section.   The separation wall includes a plurality of vapor chamber openings each receiving a corresponding portion of the condenser portion including the vapor supply path, and a plurality of liquid chamber openings each receiving a corresponding portion of the evaporator portion including the liquid return path. The apparatus according to claim 16, comprising The evaporator section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path,
The condenser section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of condensation paths and the steam supply path;
The evaporator portion and the condensation may be arranged such that the evaporation path and the liquid return path are provided on both sides of the separation wall, and the condensation path and the vapor supply path are provided on both sides of the separation wall. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus engages with the receptacle.   The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the outer wall and the separation wall are formed from a single bent sheet. The evaporator section is formed as a single integral part including a plurality of evaporation paths and the liquid return path,
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the condenser section is formed as a single integral piece including a plurality of condensing paths and the steam supply path.   28. Apparatus according to claim 27, comprising an evaporator heat transfer structure in direct thermal contact with a portion of the evaporator section and a condenser heat transfer structure in direct thermal contact with a section of the condenser section. .   29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the liquid return path does not contact the evaporator heat transfer structure.   29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the portion of the condenser section adjacent to the steam supply does not contact the condenser heat transfer structure. A thermosiphon cooling device,
An evaporator section including at least one evaporation path arranged to receive heat to evaporate liquid therein, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation path;
Condensation including at least one condensation path arranged to condense the evaporation liquid by transferring heat from the evaporation liquid to the surrounding environment, and a vapor feed path delivering the evaporation liquid to the at least one condensation path , And
A manifold fluidly connecting the at least one evaporation path to the vapor supply path and fluidly connecting the at least one condensation path to the liquid return path;
A conductive heat transfer structure arranged to conductively transfer heat to the at least one evaporation path or the at least one condensation path;
The single unit comprising the conductive heat transfer structure wherein the at least one evaporation path and the liquid return path are in thermally conductive contact with only a portion of the evaporator section adjacent to the at least one evaporation path. A portion of the evaporator section, integrated in the part and adjacent to the liquid return path, does not have any conductive heat transfer structure or
The single unit comprising the conductive heat transfer structure, wherein the at least one condensation path and the vapor feed path make thermally conductive contact only to a part of the condenser section adjacent to the at least one condensation path. A device integrated in a part, wherein a portion of the condenser section adjacent to the steam supply path does not have any conductive heat transfer structure.   32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the conductive heat transfer structure comprises a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the portion of the evaporator section adjacent the at least one evaporation path.   33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the conductive heat transfer structure includes a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the portion of the condenser section adjacent the at least one condensation path. 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the conductive heat transfer structure comprises a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the portion of the condenser section adjacent the at least one condensation path.