Cooling Device with Pulsating Heat Pipes for Heat Spreading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling technologies for power semiconductors in power electronics are inefficient in distributing heat due to reliance on thermal conduction, leading to high thermal resistance and material requirements, and do not effectively utilize pulsating heat pipes for multi-dimensional heat spreading.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a cooling channel having central and deflection segments, filled with a working fluid, that alternates between gaseous and liquid phases, allowing heat to be spread in multiple directions via pressure gradients, reducing thermal resistance and material needs by using pulsating heat pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thermal conduction is used to transport heat from the base area, then heat can be transported to the center segments, but the thermal resistance is high and heat spreading efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pulsating heat pipe system with working fluid (liquid and vapor phases) to replace solid thermal conduction. The fluid circulation through evaporation and condensation cycles enables more efficient heat transport with lower thermal resistance compared to pure thermal conduction through solid materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the working fluid between liquid and vapor states to transport heat. Evaporation occurs at the base area absorbing heat, while condensation at the deflection region releases heat, creating an efficient heat spreading mechanism that overcomes the limitations of thermal conduction.
2Area of stationary object
If a solid base plate is used for heat spreading in the x-direction, then heat can be distributed, but material costs and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat spreading function from the solid base plate structure and transfers it to the pulsating heat pipe system. The cooling channel with working fluid performs the heat distribution function that would otherwise require a large solid base plate, thereby reducing material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical thermal conduction system (solid base plate) with a fluid-based pulsating heat pipe system. This substitution allows heat spreading through phase change and fluid motion rather than relying on solid material thermal conductivity, reducing the need for extensive solid structures.
3Loss of energy
If pulsating heat pipes are used for heat spreading, then thermal resistance decreases, but the device complexity increases due to asymmetrical geometry requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetrical cooling channel geometry with distinct base region, intermediate region, and deflection region configurations. This asymmetry is necessary to create the pressure gradients that drive the pulsating heat pipe effect, enabling efficient heat spreading while maintaining manageable device complexity through deliberate geometric design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient heat dissipation with minimal temperature difference, reducing material costs and weight while promoting better start-up behavior and heat distribution across a larger area, utilizing an asymmetrical geometry and pulsating heat pipes.
Implementation Method 1
a working fluid that is present in both gaseous and liquid form in the cooling channel
Implementation Method 2
the working fluid in the cooling channel evaporates locally
Implementation Method 3
The vapor bubbles also migrate into a condenser section of the cooling channel and condense there
Implementation Method 4
heat is transferred to the cooling channel in a basic area
Implementation Method 5
the heat is spread parallel to the support surface on which the component to be cooled rests on the base area of the heat sink
Implementation Method 6
This creates pressure gradients that transport the working fluid through the cooling channel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling device for cooling components (101), comprising: - a cooling conduit (5) which is formed in the cooling device (1) and has a plurality of central segments (51) and a plurality of diverting segments (52), said cooling conduit (5) being filled with a working medium (6) which is present simultaneously in gaseous and liquid form in the cooling conduit (5); - a bottom region (2) of the cooling device (1), which can be thermally conductively connected to a component (101) to be cooled; - a diverting region (3) of the cooling device (1); - an intermediate region (4) between the bottom region (2) and the diverting region (3), each of the central segments (51) extending from the bottom region (2) to the diverting region (3), and each of the diverting segments (52) forming a reversal of direction within the bottom region (2) and within the diverting region (3) and in each case connecting two central segments (51) to one another, wherein a first diverting segment (52a) in the bottom region (2) connects two first central segments (51a) to one another, at least two second central segments (51b) being located between the two first central segments (51a), and the two second central segments (51b) being connected to one another in the bottom region (2) by means of a second diverting segment (52b).