Heat Pipe Device

Abstract

To provide a heat pipe device with high versatility.SOLUTION: A heat pipe device comprises: a heat receiving part to which a heat source is fitted; a first pipe which extends from the heat receiving part and has a first coolant sealed therein; a second pipe which extends from the heat receiving part and has a second coolant sealed therein; and a heat radiation part provided on the first pipe and the second pipe. The first coolant has a boiling point lower than that of the second coolant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present embodiments relate generally to heat pipe devices. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Heat pipe devices are known that are used to cool heat sources such as semiconductor devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-269629 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a heat pipe device, the refrigerant to be used must be considered depending on the heat value of the heat source, and therefore, when manufacturing a heat pipe device, it must be designed each time depending on the heat source to be used, which may increase costs.

[0005] The present embodiment has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a heat pipe device with high versatility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This embodiment is a heat pipe device comprising a heat receiving part to which a heat source is attached, a first pipe extending from the heat receiving part and having a first refrigerant sealed inside, a second pipe extending from the heat receiving part and having a second refrigerant sealed inside, and heat dissipation parts provided on the first pipe and the second pipe, wherein the first refrigerant has a lower boiling point than the second refrigerant. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to this embodiment, a highly versatile heat pipe device can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the heat pipe device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a side view of the heat pipe device in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow AA. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the heat pipe device in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow BB. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, showing a heat pipe device according to a first modified example. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, showing a heat pipe device according to a second modified example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a heat pipe device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the heat pipe device in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow AA. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heat pipe device in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of the arrow BB.

[0010] 1 and 2, the heat pipe device 1 includes a heat receiving section 10, a first pipe 20, a second pipe 25, and a heat dissipating section 30. The heat pipe device 1 cools a heat source 40 by utilizing the latent heat of a refrigerant. The heat pipe device 1 is provided in, for example, a power conversion device (not shown).

[0011] The heat receiving part 10 is a part to which the heat source 40 is attached. The heat receiving part 10 is a block body made of a material with high thermal conductivity (e.g., copper material). The heat source 40 is, for example, a semiconductor element, and is attached to the side surface of the heat receiving part 10. Note that the heat source 40 is not limited to a semiconductor element, and may be, for example, other elements (electrical equipment), etc.

[0012] The terminal 15 is attached to the heat receiving part 10. In this example, the terminal 15 is attached to a side surface of the heat receiving part 10, located on the opposite side to the heat source 40. The terminal 15 is electrically connected to the heat source 40 via the heat receiving part 10. The terminal 15 is connected to an external device (not shown).

[0013] For example, when the heat source 40 is a semiconductor element, the heat receiving unit 10 is thermally coupled to the heat source 40 to cool the heat source 40, and is also electrically coupled to the heat source 40 to pass electricity through the heat source 40. The heat receiving unit 10 has a mounting surface for mounting the heat source 40.

[0014] The heat receiving part 10 is in contact with the heat source 40 via the mounting plane, thereby being thermally coupled to the heat source 40 and electrically connected to the heat source 40. The heat source 40 may be in direct contact with the mounting plane of the heat receiving part 10, or indirectly connected via another member or the like. The shape of the heat receiving part 10 is not limited to the above, and may be any shape that can at least be thermally coupled to the heat source 40.

[0015] The first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 extend upward from the heat receiving section 10. The base ends (lower ends) of the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 are inserted into the heat receiving section 10. The first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 are cylindrical bodies made of, for example, a copper material. Heat generated from the heat source 40 is transferred from the heat receiving section 10 to the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25.

[0016] The heat dissipation section 30 is located above the heat receiving section 10 and is provided on the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25. The heat dissipation section 30 is, for example, a plurality of heat dissipation fins made of a material with high thermal conductivity. The heat dissipation section 30 protrudes from the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 and dissipates heat to the outside air.

[0017] A refrigerant is enclosed in each of the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25. The refrigerant becomes vapor by absorbing heat transferred to the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25. The vaporized refrigerant moves upward in the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25.

[0018] The vapor that moves upward inside the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 is cooled and liquefied by the heat dissipation section 30. The liquid refrigerant moves downward inside the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 due to gravity. In this way, the heat pipe device 1 transfers heat by circulating the refrigerant inside the pipes.

[0019] The first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 have different refrigerants sealed therein. The first pipe 20 is sealed with a first refrigerant R1. On the other hand, the second pipe 25 is sealed with a second refrigerant R2. The first refrigerant R1 has a lower boiling point than the second refrigerant R2.

[0020] The first refrigerant R1 is, for example, a PFC (perfluorocarbon) with a boiling point set at 80°C. The second refrigerant R2 is, for example, pure water with a boiling point of 100°C. The first refrigerant R1 may be pure water, and the second refrigerant R2 may be a PFC with a boiling point of 100°C or higher. The refrigerants are not limited to pure water or PFC, and any refrigerant with different boiling points may be used. For example, the first refrigerant R1 may be a PFC with a boiling point set at 40°C, and the second refrigerant R2 may be a PFC with a boiling point set at 70°C.

[0021] In this way, by using the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 with different boiling points, a heat pipe device 1 with high versatility can be obtained. Compared with a heat pipe device designed for a high loss of the heat source 40, the heat pipe device 1 can reduce the decrease in thermal efficiency even if the loss of the heat source 40 is low. Therefore, a uniform heat pipe device 1 that can be commonly used even if the loss of the heat source 40 is different can be obtained. As a result, the heat pipe device 1 can be manufactured in a lump without considering the heat source 40, thereby reducing costs. Also, even if the loss of the heat source 40 increases excessively due to, for example, a malfunction, the second refrigerant R2 with a higher boiling point can be used to deal with it.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pipe device 1 includes, for example, a plurality of first pipes 20 and a plurality of second pipes 25. In this example, three first pipes 20 and three second pipes 25 are provided. The three first pipes 20 are located on the terminal 15 side and are arranged in parallel along the terminal 15. On the other hand, the three second pipes 25 are located on the heat source 40 side and are arranged in parallel along the heat source 40. In other words, the dimension L1 from the heat source 40 to the first pipe 20 is longer than the dimension L2 from the heat source 40 to the second pipe 25. The number of the first pipes 20 and the number of the second pipes 25 provided in the heat pipe device 1 are not limited to the above and may be any number.

[0023] As a result, when the amount of heat generated by the heat source 40 is small, the heat source 40 can be cooled by the first pipe 20. When the amount of heat generated by the heat source 40 is large, the heat source 40 can be cooled by the second pipe 25. Furthermore, since the first pipe 20 is farther away from the heat source 40 than the second pipe 25, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the first pipe 20 from increasing excessively.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, showing a heat pipe device according to a first modified example. In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the first pipe 20 is farther from the heat source 40 than the second pipe 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in a first modified example shown in Fig. 4, the dimension from the heat source 40 to the first pipe 20 may be shorter than the dimension from the heat source 40 to the second pipe 25. In other words, the first pipe 20 filled with a first refrigerant R1 having a low boiling point may be provided at a position closer to the heat source 40.

[0025] As a result, when the amount of heat generated by the heat source 40 is small, the heat source 40 can be cooled early by the first pipe 20. When the amount of heat generated by the heat source 40 becomes large, the heat source 40 can be cooled by both the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, showing a heat pipe device according to a second modified example. In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the first pipe 20 is farther from the heat source 40 than the second pipe 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 may be arranged alternately along the heat source 40, as in a second modified example shown in FIG.

[0027] When a plurality of first pipes 20 and a plurality of second pipes 25 are provided, the plurality of first pipes 20 and the plurality of second pipes 25 are arranged alternately side by side in a direction parallel to the mounting plane, for example. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the plurality of first pipes 20 and the plurality of second pipes 25 are arranged in a plurality of rows. In this case, the plurality of first pipes 20 and the plurality of second pipes 25 are also arranged alternately side by side in a direction perpendicular to the mounting plane.

[0028] In this way, by alternately arranging the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25 along the heat source 40, the heat source 40 can be efficiently cooled. For example, even if the amount of electricity passing through the heat source 40 is not constant and the amount of heat generated by the heat source 40 varies, the heat source 40 can be efficiently cooled by the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25. As a result, the stability of the heat source 40 can be improved. Furthermore, by alternately arranging the multiple first pipes 20 and the multiple second pipes 25 side by side in a direction perpendicular to the mounting plane, the heat source 40 can be more efficiently cooled.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which one heat source 40 is attached to the side surface of the heat receiving portion 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, multiple heat sources 40 may be attached to the heat receiving portion 10.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which three first pipes 20 and three second pipes 25 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and it is sufficient that at least one first pipe 20 and one second pipe 25 are provided. In addition, the number of first pipes 20 and second pipes 25 does not have to be the same.

[0031] In the above-described embodiment, the case where two types of refrigerants with different boiling points are used has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, three or more types of refrigerants with different boiling points may be used. That is, the heat pipe device may be provided with a third pipe in which a third refrigerant with a boiling point different from the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 is enclosed, in addition to the first pipe 20 and the second pipe 25.

[0032] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in combination with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Heat pipe device 10 Heat receiving part 15 Terminals 20 No. 1 Pipe 25 No. 2 Pipe 30 Heat dissipation part 40 Heat source R1 First refrigerant R2 2nd refrigerant

Claims

1. A heat receiving portion to which a heat source is attached; a first pipe extending from the heat receiving portion and having a first refrigerant sealed therein; a second pipe extending from the heat receiving portion and having a second refrigerant sealed therein; a heat dissipation portion provided on the first pipe and the second pipe; Equipped with The first refrigerant has a lower boiling point than the second refrigerant, the first pipe and the second pipe are arranged side by side in a direction away from the heat source, A heat pipe device, wherein a dimension from the heat source to the first pipe is longer than a dimension from the heat source to the second pipe.

2. A heat receiving portion to which a heat source is attached; a first pipe extending from the heat receiving portion and having a first refrigerant sealed therein; a second pipe extending from the heat receiving portion and having a second refrigerant sealed therein; a heat dissipation portion provided on the first pipe and the second pipe; Equipped with The first refrigerant has a lower boiling point than the second refrigerant, the first pipe and the second pipe are arranged side by side in a direction away from the heat source, A heat pipe device, wherein a dimension from the heat source to the first pipe is shorter than a dimension from the heat source to the second pipe.

3. The heat receiving portion has a mounting surface for mounting the heat source, 3. The heat pipe device according to claim 1, wherein the flat mounting surface is provided on only one side surface of the heat receiving portion.

4. A terminal electrically connected to the heat source, 4. The heat pipe device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal is attached to a side surface of the heat receiving portion on an opposite side to the heat source.

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