Counter Gravity Heat Pipe with Capillary Syphon
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pipes face inefficiencies in transporting liquid metals due to Lorentz forces and limited mass flow rates, especially in sensible single-phase heat transfer loops, and are constrained by gravity forces in two-phase heat transfer processes.
Innovation Solution
A capillary assisted and/or pump assisted heat pipe configuration that combines low mass flow rates with a hermetically sealed pump to overcome capillary limits, using a counter-gravity two-phase heat pipe loop with a capillary syphon or mechanical pump to move liquid from a condenser region to an upper chamber, maintaining pressure to facilitate liquid transport across capillary resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional heat pipes use Lorentz forces to transport liquid metals, then heat transfer is achieved, but the process is very inefficient with limited mass flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces Lorentz force-driven liquid metal transport with a capillary wick-based two-phase heat pipe system. The capillary wick structure provides passive liquid return mechanism, eliminating the need for electromagnetic forces and associated energy losses, thereby achieving more efficient heat transfer with lower energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transitions (evaporation and condensation) of the working fluid in the capillary wick structure to achieve heat transfer. Liquid evaporates at the heat source, absorbs latent heat, vapor travels to the heat sink, condenses and releases heat, then returns via capillary action. This phase change mechanism dramatically improves heat transfer capacity compared to single-phase convection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heat pipes operate in counter-gravity configuration with heat addition zone above heat rejection zone, then gravitational limitations are overcome, but capillary forces are required to transfer liquid against gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a capillary wick structure with porous material that generates capillary forces to pump liquid against gravity in counter-gravity configurations. The porous structure creates sufficient capillary pressure to overcome gravitational head, enabling the heat pipe to operate with heat addition zone above heat rejection zone without external pumps.
3Productivity
If conventional heat pipes are used, then heat transfer is achieved, but they are constrained by gravity forces limiting mass flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces gravity-dependent liquid return mechanisms with capillary wick-based passive pumping. The capillary forces in the porous wick structure provide sufficient pressure to overcome gravitational forces, enabling counter-gravity operation and dramatically increasing mass flow rate and heat transfer capacity without being constrained by gravity.
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
This configuration achieves a substantially higher heat transfer capacity compared to conventional systems with modest power requirements, effectively overcoming gravitational limitations and enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an artery configured to move liquid from a liquid pool to an upper chamber by a capillary syphon
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical pump to move the liquid from a condenser region to an upper chamber
Implementation Method 3
the vapor space is configured to vaporize the liquid in an evaporation zone
Implementation Method 4
and condense the liquid in one or more cold zones
Implementation Method 5
maintain pressure in the upper chamber to move the liquid from the upper chamber across a capillary
Data Source
AI summary
A pump assisted heat pipe may combine the low mass flow rate required of latent heat pipe transfer loops with a hermetically sealed pump to overcome the typical heat pipe capillary limit. This may result in a device with substantially higher heat transfer capacity over conventional pumped single-phase loops, heat pipes, loop heat pipes, and capillary pumped loops with very modest power requirements to operate. Further, one or more embodiments overcome the gravitation limitations in the conventional heat pipe configuration, e.g., when the heat addition zone is above the heat rejection zone, the capillary forces are required to transfer the liquid from the heat rejection zone to the heat addition zone against gravity.