Low-cost nano-heat pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016290734-A1
Application number	US-201514673584-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of fabricating a heat pipe may include providing a first material as a body section. The method may include stamping or etching the body section to include the cavity. A portion of the body section may constitute a wall of the cavity. The method may include stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to provide a set of corrugations on a portion of the wall of the cavity. The method may include forming an opening in the wall of the cavity. The method may include attaching a lid over the cavity. The lid constituting at least a portion of a hermetic seal of the cavity. The method may include attaching a cover to the body section approximately adjacent to the opening in the cavity. The method may include attaching a valve to the body section approximately at the opening to the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of fabricating a heat pipe, the method comprising:
providing a first material as a body section; stamping or etching the body section to include a cavity,
a portion of the body section constituting a wall of the cavity;
stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to provide a set of corrugations on a portion of the wall of the cavity; forming an opening in the wall of the cavity,
the opening being configured to receive a fluid;
attaching a lid over the cavity,
the lid constituting at least a portion of a hermetic seal of the cavity;
attaching a cover to the body section approximately adjacent to the opening in the cavity; and attaching a valve to the body section approximately at the opening to the cavity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
evacuating the cavity through the opening and the valve; and partially filling the cavity with the fluid through the opening and the valve.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
manipulating the cover to form a hermetic seal of the opening.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to provide the set of corrugations on a portion of the wall of the cavity further comprises:
stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to produce the set of corrugations using a diamond stamping or etching tool.

5 . The method of claim 1 , where each corrugation, of the set of corrugations, is less than approximately 0.75 millimeters in height and separated from one or more other corrugations, of the set of corrugations, by less than approximately 0.1 millimeters.

6 . The method of claim 1 , where stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to provide the set of corrugations further comprises:
positioning the first material in a thermally insulated enclosure associated with providing temperature control; and stamping or etching the wall of the cavity to provide the set of corrugations after positioning the first material in the thermally insulated enclosure.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
affixing a heat generating module to the lid.

8 . A heat pipe device, comprising:
a body section having a set of body section surfaces,
the set of body section surfaces including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a set of body section side surfaces,
the body section including a cavity extending from the top surface toward the bottom surface,
the cavity including a bottom surface and a set of cavity side surfaces,
the cavity being covered by a lid attaching to the top surface of the body section,
the cavity having an opening into the body section,
the opening extending to a particular surface of the set of body section surfaces,

the cavity being hermetically sealable by the lid, the body section, and a cover that covers the opening into the body section,
the bottom surface of the cavity including a set of corrugations.

9 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , the lid being configured to attach to a heat generating module,
the heat generating module being affixed to the lid.

10 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , the cavity being configured to receive a working fluid that fills the cavity to a level approximately even with a top surface of the set of corrugations.

11 . The heat pipe device of claim 10 , where
the cavity includes a working fluid in a liquid state and the working fluid in a gaseous state.

12 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , where the set of corrugations are stamped or etched into the bottom surface of the cavity.

13 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , where the set of corrugations are attached to the bottom surface of the cavity.

14 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , where the cavity is stamped into the body section.

15 . The heat pipe device of claim 8 , where the cavity is etched into the body section.

16 . A heat pipe, comprising:
a body section,
the body section being at least partially covered by a lid that is less than approximately 35 square millimeters in size,
the lid covering a cavity in the body section,
the cavity having a corrugated bottom surface,
the corrugated bottom surface having multiple corrugations,
each corrugation, of the multiple corrugations, being less than approximately 0.75 millimeters in height and being separated from one or more other corrugations, of the multiple corrugations, by less than approximately 0.1 millimeters.

17 . The heat pipe of claim 16 , further comprising:
an opening,
the opening facilitating evacuation of air from the cavity and injection of a working fluid into the cavity,
the opening being hermetically sealable.

18 . The heat pipe of claim 16 , where a particular separation between a first corrugation, of the multiple corrugations, and a second corrugation, of the multiple corrugations, is selected based on a capillary movement of a working fluid injected into the cavity.

19 . The heat pipe of claim 16 , where the body section is a three-dimensionally printed body section; and
where the corrugated bottom surface is a three-dimensionally printed corrugated bottom surface.

20 . The heat pipe of claim 16 , where the body section is further comprised of multiple body sections,
the multiple body sections being separately fabricated, the multiple body sections being attached together.

Assignees

• Infinera Corp

Inventors

• Osenbach John W
• Tang Jie
• Messenger S Eugene
• Coronati John

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• H10W40/037

  Assembling together parts thereof · CPC title

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• F28D15/02 Primary

  in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes {(heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257)} · CPC title

• F28D15/046

  characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure · CPC title