Curved Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling devices using oscillating heat pipes for electronic and electrical components are either complex and costly or rely on energy-consuming fans, which are unreliable and require frequent maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A cooling device with a support structure forming an oscillating heat pipe between two plates, allowing natural convection and heat diffusion across multiple faces without the need for heat exchange fins or fans, enhancing heat exchange efficiency and reliability while reducing manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heat exchange fins are placed between the coils to improve cooling performance, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the heat exchange function into the support structure itself by making the support curved to form conduits that expose multiple faces to ambient air. This integration eliminates the need for separate heat exchange fins, achieving effective heat dissipation while maintaining structural simplicity and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Temperature

If fans are used to establish forced air convection for cooling, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation efficiencyVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs natural convection where ambient air flows freely through the conduits formed by the curved support structure without requiring external fans or forced circulation systems. This self-service approach eliminates moving parts that could fail, reducing energy consumption while improving reliability and maintaining effective heat dissipation from the heat source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 provides efficient and reliable cooling with increased performance and reduced complexity, using natural convection to dissipate heat across multiple faces, thus improving cooling efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

Implementation Method 1

an oscillating heat pipe (252) in which a phase-change heat transfer fluid (251) circulates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

The oscillating heat pipe comprises a hot section located below the conduction element 13 and cold sections located in lateral zones of the coil

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat pipe: Heat Pipe

Implementation Method 3

This difference allows the heat carried by the heat transfer fluid to diffuse within the two plates to the two large opposite faces of the support

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat diffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 4

The cold sections then dissipate the heat to the environment by convection with the ambient air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNatural convection: Free Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3246648B1Cooling device with pulsed heat pipe
Publication Date: 2019.08.28 EUROPHANE SAS
  • EP3246648B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3246648B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3246648B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a cooling device (200, 400) comprising a support (210, 410) consisting of a first plate (230, 430) joined to a second plate (240, 440), the first plate (230, 430) having on a first large face (231, 431) at least one groove (232, 432) extending between a first lateral edge (233, 433) and a second opposing lateral edge (234, 434) and forming a serpentine shape, the groove (232, 432) being covered by the second plate (240, 440) so as to form an oscillating heat pipe (252, 452), the support (210, 410) being curved so as to form at least one conduit (213, 413) extending from the first lateral edge (233, 433) up to the second lateral edge (234, 434), at least one conduit is partially closed by a thermal conduction plate (220, 420) in contact with the first lateral edge (233, 433) so as to allow a natural flow of ambient air into the conduit(s) (213, 413) formed by the support (210, 410).