Heat exchanger construction using low temperature sinter techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851161-B2
Application number	US-201213342410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2012
Priority date	Jan 3, 2012
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to constructing a heat exchanger using nanoink as a thermal bond interface between portions of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may comprise fins and at least one base. A nanoink may be applied to at least a portion of the fins. The pieces of the heat exchanger may be sintered such that the nanoink melts and forms a bond between the pieces of the heat exchanger. Some embodiments include a second base. Some embodiments incorporate dissimilar materials within the heat exchanger construction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for use in relation to a heat exchanger used in conducting heat from a heat source, the heat exchanger comprising a base comprised of a base material and fins comprised of a fin material, the method comprising acts of:
applying nanoink to at least a portion of one of the fins and the base to create a nanoink layer, wherein the nanoink comprises nanoparticles having at least one melting point;
arranging the fins and the base, after applying the nanoink to at least the portion of the one of the fins and the base, such that at least a portion of the nanoink layer resides between the one of the fins and the base and the other of the fins and the base;
after arranging the fins and the base, sintering the base, the fins and the nanoink layer at a sintering temperature which meets or exceeds at least one melting point of the nanoparticles, the sintering temperature being less than or equal to 300 degrees Celsius;
cooling the base, the fins and the nanoink layer to form a bond between the base and the fins; and
after the cooling, subjecting the heat exchanger to heat from the heat source at a second temperature which meets or exceeds the sintering temperature, without compromising the bond formed between the base and the fins.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are comprised of a thermally conductive material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of subjecting the heat exchanger to a second temperature comprises repeating the acts of the method for a plurality of base and fin layers of same or different materials to create a multilayer heat exchanger.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base material and the fin material are different materials.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the base material is an inorganic material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base material is a metallic material.

7. The method of claim 1 , where in the base is a processor or printed wiring board.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of applying the nanoink to at least a portion of the one of the fins and the base uses an ink roller.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of applying the nanoink to at least a portion of the fins uses an inkjet nozzle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base is a first base comprised of a first base material, the nanoink layer is a first nanoink layer, and the portion of the fins is a first portion of the fins, and wherein the act of subjecting the heat exchanger to the second temperature comprises acts of:
providing a second base comprised of a second base material;
applying a second nanoink layer to at least a second portion of the fins;
placing the fins and the second base, after applying the nanoink to at least the second portion of the fins, such that at least a portion of the second nanoink layer is in contact with the second base;
sintering the second base, the fins, and the second nanoink layer at the second temperature; and
cooling the second base, the fins, and the second nanoink layer to form a bond between the second base and the fins.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering temperature is below 250 degrees Celsius and above 100 degrees Celsius.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering temperature is below 185 degrees Celsius.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticles are comprised of a metallic material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nanoparticles are comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, tungsten, platinum and gold.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise carbon.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise carbon nanotubes.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of subjecting the heat exchanger to the second temperature comprises using the heat exchanger to cool a device operating at the second temperature.

Assignees

• Vos David L
• Schober Stephen
• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Vos David L
• Schober Stephen

Classifications

• F28F2255/18

  sintered · CPC title

• F28F2255/20

  with nanostructures · CPC title

• F28F3/025

  the means being corrugated, plate-like elements · CPC title

• F28F2275/02

  by using bonding materials; by embedding elements in particular materials · CPC title

• Y10T29/4935

  Heat exchanger or boiler making · CPC title