Thermal management system for an aircraft avionics bay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756764-B2
Application number	US-201113220329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2011
Priority date	Aug 29, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A system for managing heat transfer is provided by the present disclosure, which in one form includes a cavity having an inner wall portion, at least one heat-generating component disposed within the cavity, and a plurality of heat conducting members disposed adjacent one another. Each heat conducting member includes a resilient core and an outer shell wrapped around at least a portion of the resilient core. The outer shell is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, and the plurality of heat conducting members are positioned between the heat-generating component and the inner wall portion of the cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for managing heat transfer comprising:
a cavity having an inner wall portion;
at least one heat-generating component disposed within the cavity; and
a plurality of heat conducting members disposed adjacent one another, each heat conducting member comprising:
a resilient core; and
an outer shell wrapped around at least a portion of the resilient core, the outer shell comprising a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity,

wherein the plurality of heat conducting members are positioned between the heat-generating component and the inner wall portion of the cavity;
a structural member disposed proximate the inner wall portion of the cavity and comprising:
an upper skin;
a lower skin; and
a foam core disposed between the upper skin and the lower skin;

at least one heat conducting array extending through the foam core and between the upper skin and the lower skin, the heat conducting array defining at least one upper cap, at least one lower cap, and a wall portion extending between the upper cap and the lower cap, the upper cap being disposed proximate a heat source; and
a heat conducting spreader disposed between the lower cap of the heat conducting array and the lower skin of the structural member,
wherein the heat conducting array dissipates heat from the heat-generating component by transferring heat from the at least one upper cap, through the wall portion, to the at least one lower cap, to the heat conducting spreader, through the lower skin, and out to an atmosphere.

2. A system for managing heat transfer comprising:
a cavity having an inner wall portion;
at least one heat-generating component disposed within the cavity; and
a plurality of heat conducting members disposed adjacent one another, each heat conducting member comprising:
a resilient core; and
an outer shell wrapped around at least a portion of the resilient core, the outer shell comprising a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity,

wherein the plurality of heat conducting members are positioned between the heat-generating component and the inner wall portion of the cavity;
a structural member disposed proximate the inner wall portion of the cavity and comprising:
an upper skin;
a lower skin; and
a foam core disposed between the upper skin and the lower skin;

at least one heat conducting array extending through the foam core and between the upper skin and the lower skin, the heat conducting array defining at least one upper cap, at least one lower cap, and a wall portion extending between the upper cap and the lower cap, the wall portion defining a perforated portion, and the upper cap being disposed proximate a heat source, wherein the heat conducting array dissipates heat from the heat-generating component by transferring heat from the at least one upper cap, through the wall portion, to the at least one lower cap, to the heat conducting spreader, through the lower skin, and out to an atmosphere; and
a heat conducting spreader disposed between the lower cap of the heat conducting array and the lower skin of the structural member,
wherein the foam core flows through the perforated portion during forming of the structural member.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a copper layer disposed over the heat conducting members proximate the inner wall portion.

4. The system according to claim 3 further comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer disposed over the copper layer and in contact with the inner wall portion to secure the heat conducting members and the copper layer to the cavity.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell comprises a sheet of pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) material.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the resilient core is thermally conductive.

7. The system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one thermally conductive element disposed between the heat conducting members and the heat-generating component.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conducting members define a generally rectangular configuration.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conducting members define a grid configuration.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is wrapped completely around the resilient cores.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the outer shell extends around the resilient cores to define an overlap region.

12. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat conducting members define a generally rectangular configuration.

13. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat conducting members define a grid configuration.

14. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the cavity is an aircraft equipment bay.

Assignees

• Ofoma Uchenna
• Hibbs Bart Dean
• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Ofoma Uchenna
• Hibbs Bart Dean

Classifications

• H05K7/20445 Primary

  the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff · CPC title

• H05K7/20509

  Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures · CPC title

• B64D2013/0614

  with subsystems for cooling avionics · CPC title

• F28F13/003

  by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials (F28F13/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10W40/226

  characterised by projecting parts, e.g. fins to increase surface area (leadframes for cooling H10W70/461) · CPC title