System and method for shape memory alloy thermal interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10730645-B2
Application number	US-201715494315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus includes a thermally conductive interface assembly including a first component associated with a first interface surface and a second component associated with a second interface surface. The apparatus also includes a shape memory alloy component coupled to the thermally conductive interface assembly and configured to move one or more components of the thermally conductive interface assembly between a first state and a second state based on a temperature of the shape memory alloy component. In the first state, the first interface surface is in physical contact with the second interface surface, and in the second state, a gap is defined between the first interface surface and the second interface surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a thermally conductive interface assembly including a first component associated with a first interface surface and a second component associated with a second interface surface;
a first heat pipe coupled to the first component to exchange heat by conduction with the first component;
a second heat pipe coupled to the second component to exchange heat by conduction with the second component; and
a shape memory alloy component coupled to the thermally conductive interface assembly and configured to:
in response to a temperature of the shape memory alloy component reaching a particular temperature, transition between an expanded state and a compressed state; and
in response to the transition, move the first component relative to the second component between a first state and a second state, wherein, in the first state, the first interface surface is in contact with the second interface surface and the first heat pipe and the second heat pipe exchange heat by conduction through the thermally conductive interface assembly, including direct conductive heat transfer between the first interface surface and the second interface surface; and wherein, in the second state, a gap is defined between the first interface surface and the second interface surface to impede conductive heat transfer from the first heat pipe to the second heat pipe by prevention of direct conductive heat transfer between the first interface surface and the second interface surface due to the gap.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy component changes to an expanded shape from a compressed shape responsive to the temperature of the shape memory alloy component exceeding the particular temperature and returns to the compressed shape responsive to the temperature reaching a second particular temperature after exceeding the particular temperature, the second particular temperature at or below the particular temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a transition of the shape memory alloy component from the compressed shape to the expanded shape corresponds to a transition from the second state to the first state, and wherein one of the first interface surface or the second interface surface is coupled to a heat source and the other of the first interface surface or the second interface surface is coupled to a heat sink.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a transition of the shape memory alloy component from the compressed shape to the expanded shape corresponds to a transition from the first state to the second state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy component comprises a washer, a nut, a spring, a bolt, or a gasket, and wherein the shape memory alloy component is further configured to move the second component, one or more additional components of the thermally conductive interface assembly, or a combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element coupled to the shape memory alloy component and configured to provide heat to the shape memory alloy component, wherein the thermally conductive interface assembly is configured to transfer heat from a heat source, and wherein the heating element is distinct from the heat source.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a radiator coupled to the second heat pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastener coupled to the thermally conductive interface assembly and configured to exert a force to bias the thermally conductive interface assembly towards the first state; and
one or more Belleville washers coupled to the fastener and configured to exert another force to bias the thermally conductive interface assembly towards the first state.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more Belleville washers positioned in a thermal interface of the thermally conductive interface assembly and configured to exert a force to bias the thermally conductive interface assembly towards the second state.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal interface material positioned between the first component and the second component, wherein the first interface surface includes a surface of the thermal interface material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy component comprises a thermal interface material positioned between the first interface surface and the second interface surface.

12. A system comprising:
a thermally conductive interface assembly comprising:
a first component comprising a first interface surface;
a second component comprising a second interface surface; and
a shape memory alloy component coupled to the first component and the second component, the shape memory alloy component configured to, in response to a temperature of the shape memory alloy component reaching a particular temperature, transition between an expanded state and a compressed state;

a first heat pipe thermally coupled to another interface surface of the first component to exchange heat by conduction with the first component; and
a second heat pipe thermally coupled to another interface surface of the second component to exchange heat by conduction with the second component,
wherein, in response to the transition of the shape memory alloy component, the shape memory alloy component moves the first component relative to the second component between a first state and a second state, and wherein:
in the first state, the first interface surface is in physical contact with the second interface surface and the first heat pipe and the second heat pipe exchange heat by conduction through the thermally conductive interface assembly, including direct conductive heat transfer between the first interface surface and the second interface surface, and
in the second state, a gap is defined between the first interface surface and the second interface surface to impede conductive heat transfer between the first heat pipe and the second heat pipe via the thermally conductive interface assembly by prevention of direct conductive heat transfer between the first interface surface and the second interface surface due to the gap.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein, in the second state, the thermally conductive interface assembly provides conductive heat transfer between the first heat pipe and the second heat pipe via one or more fasteners of the thermally conductive interface assembly that couple the first component to the second component.

14. A method comprising:
coupling a first heat pipe to a first component of a thermally conductive interface assembly; and
coupling a second heat pipe to a second component of a thermally conductive interface assembly,
wherein a shape memory alloy component of the thermally conductive interface assembly is configured to, in response to a temperature of the shape memory alloy component reaching a particular temperature, transition between an expanded state and a compressed state, wherein, in response to the transition of the shape memory alloy component, the shape memory alloy component moves the first component relative to the second component between a first state and a second state, and wherein:
in the first state, a first interface surface of the thermally conductive interface assembly is in physical contact with a second interface surface of the thermally conductive interface assembly and the first heat pipe and the second heat pipe exchange heat by conduction through the thermally conductive interface assembly, including direct conductive heat transfer between the first interface surface and the second interf

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mindock Eric S
• Mabe James H
• Calkins Frederick Theodore
• Gissen Abraham Naroll
• Estevez Miguel A

Classifications

• H10W40/258

  Metallic materials (H10W40/254, H10W40/257, H10W40/255, H10W40/251, H10W40/253 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• H10W40/70

  Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or in encapsulations for thermal protection or control · CPC title

• H05K7/20454 Primary

  with a conformable or flexible structure compensating for irregularities, e.g. cushion bags, thermal paste · CPC title

• H05K7/2049

  Pressing means used to urge contact, e.g. springs · CPC title