Method and apparatus for heat-dissipation in an avionics chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017339805-A1
Application number	US-201615156775-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus for heat-dissipation in an avionics chassis can include a housing having an outer surface, defining an exterior of the housing, an inner surface, defining an interior of the housing, and a set of walls at least partially separating the exterior of the housing from the interior of the housing, a heat generating component located within the interior of the housing, and a thermal plane thermally coupled to the heat generating component and configured to direct heat away from the heat generating component.

First claim

1 . An avionics chassis assembly, comprising:
a housing having an outer surface, defining an exterior of the housing, an inner surface, defining an interior of the housing, and a set of walls at least partially separating the exterior of the housing from the interior of the housing; a heat generating component located within the interior of the housing; and a thermal plane thermally coupled to the heat generating component and configured to direct heat away from the heat generating component; wherein an opening is included in the housing and the opening is configured to receive at least a portion of the thermal plane such that the at least a portion of the thermal plane passes through the opening and is located exteriorly of the housing to define an extending thermal plane portion.

2 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 1 wherein the opening is sealed about the thermal plane.

3 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 1 wherein the extending thermal plane portion includes a heat-dissipating configuration.

4 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 3 wherein the heat-dissipating configuration includes at least one of a set of fins, a set of pin fins, a set of heat pipes, a set of thermally conductive inlays, or carbon black.

5 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 4 , further comprising an external cooling system providing a forced air stream to the heat-dissipating configuration.

6 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 5 wherein the heat-dissipating configuration includes channels configured to receive coolant from the external cooling system.

7 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 6 wherein the heat-dissipating configuration includes a phase-change material.

8 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 7 wherein the phase-change material comprises paraffin wax.

9 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 8 wherein the housing comprises a selectively removable front cover, wherein the opening is located within the front cover, and
wherein the opening comprises a laterally-extending slot.

10 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic circuit board, and wherein the heat generating component is mounted to the electronic circuit board.

11 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 10 wherein the thermal plane overlies the electronic circuit board, and
wherein the extending thermal plane portion comprises electromagnetic interference seals to ensure environmental compatibility with the interior of the housing.

12 . The avionics chassis assembly of claim 1 wherein the thermal plane is configured to conduct heat laterally along the thermal plane to extending thermal plane portion.

13 . A heat-dissipating assembly, comprising:
a housing having a set of planar walls defining an exterior of the housing and an interior of the housing, the housing having one or more openings; an electronic circuit board having a heat generating component, where the electronic circuit board is received within the interior of the housing; and a thermal plane in a thermally conductive relationship with the heat generating component and extending from the interior of the housing through the one or more openings beyond at least one planar wall into an exterior environment surrounding the housing to define an extending thermal plane portion; wherein the thermal plane is configured to conduct heat away from the heat generating component beyond the at least one planar wall and dissipate at least a portion of the heat to the exterior environment; and wherein the portion of the thermal plane in the interior of the housing is coplanar with the extending thermal plane portion.

14 . The heat-dissipating assembly of claim 13 wherein the at least one planar wall includes an opening receiving the extending thermal plane portion, and
wherein the opening comprises a laterally-extending slot.

15 . The heat-dissipating assembly of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the extending thermal plane portion includes at least one of a set of fins, a set of pin fins, a set of heat pipes, a set of thermally conductive inlays, carbon black, a set of coolant channels, or a phase-change material.

16 . The heat-dissipating assembly of claim 13 wherein the thermal plane and the extending thermal plane portion are integral with each other.

17 . A method of assembling a heat-dissipating assembly, comprising:
overlying a thermal plane adjacent a heat producing component such that the heat producing component and the thermal plane are in a thermally conductive relationship; mounting the thermal plane and the heat producing component within a chassis having a set of planar walls defining an interior of the housing, and providing one or more openings in the set of planar walls, wherein at least a portion of the thermal plane extends beyond the housing through the one or more openings in the set of planar walls into an exterior environment surrounding the housing to define an extending thermal plane portion.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising mounting a cover having an opening configured to receive the extending thermal plane portion to the chassis.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the overlying, the mounting within the chassis, and the mounting the cover provide for retrofitting an existing heat producing component or chassis.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the thermal plane includes a heat-dissipating configuration, and
wherein the thermal plane comprises a thermally conductive material comprising one of copper and an aluminum beryllium alloy.

Assignees

• Ge Aviation Systems Llc

Inventors

• Lassini Stefano Angelo Mario
• Holen Stephen Nils
• Dusseau Michael James

Classifications

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• H05K7/20863

  Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title

• H05K7/20854 Primary

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20863 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20872

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• H05K7/20545 Primary

  Natural convection of gaseous coolant; Heat transfer by conduction from electronic boards · CPC title