Systems, methods, and apparatus for passive cooling of UAVs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975846-B2
Application number	US-202017247546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

An innovative passive cooling solution with sealed UAV enclosure system allows heat from a semiconductor chip to be dissipated to the ambient environment through evaporation/condensation phase-change cooling and air cooling a heat sink such as a fin without any additional power consumption to operate cooling solution. One example of such a solution may include a pipe with a fin and a fluid. The pipe may include a wick structure along an inner surface of the pipe configured to allow the fluid to travel within the wick structure and to allow a vapor form of the fluid to exit the wick structure towards a center of the pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a body;
a pipe with a fluid included therein, wherein the pipe includes:
a first portion partially outside the body;
a second portion partially outside the body, the first portion directly coupled to the second portion inside the body; and
a first branch portion extending from the first portion, the second portion, or a combination thereof, the first branch portion being entirely inside the body; and

a first plurality of fins located on a top of the pipe in a first location of the first portion of the pipe outside the body;
a second plurality of fins located on the top of the pipe in a second location of the second portion of the pipe outside the body, wherein all fins mounted on the top of the pipe are directly above the pipe;
a first heat source located in the body and attached to the top of the pipe in a third location of the first branch portion of the pipe;
a first propeller located above the first plurality of fins;
a second propeller located above the second plurality of fins; and
a wick structure along an entire inner surface of the pipe, the wick structure configured to allow the fluid to travel within the wick structure and to allow a vapor form of the fluid to exit the wick structure towards a center of the pipe.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the wick structure is configured to cause the fluid to evaporate within the pipe at the third location and form a vapor that moves toward the first location or the second location where the vapor to condenses back into the fluid.

3. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the wick structure is one of a honeycomb, mesh, fiber, or powder.

4. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of fins or the second plurality of fins is a pin fin.

5. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the pipe is composed of one of aluminum, copper, or plastic materials.

6. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of fins or the second plurality of fins is one of a plurality of circular fins arranged inline, a plurality of circular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of square fins arranged inline, a plurality of square fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of oval fins arranged in a staggered formation, or a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in parallel.

7. The UAV of claim 1 , further comprising one or more other propellers in multiple locations, each spaced from the body.

8. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has a thickness between 0.5 mm and 5 mm.

9. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the body is hermetically sealed.

10. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein:
the first branch portion of the pipe extends from the first portion of the pipe,
the pipe further includes a second branch portion extending from the second portion of the pipe and entirely inside the body, and
the UAV further comprise a second heat source located in the body and attached to the top of the pipe in a fourth location of the second branch portion of the pipe.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Wang Peng
• Le Don
• Anderson Jon James
• Chiu Chinchuan

Classifications

• B64U50/13

  using external fans or propellers · CPC title

• B64U30/29

  Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B64U20/96

  using air · CPC title

• B64U10/13 Primary

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U20/92 Primary

  of avionics · CPC title