Electronic Device Containers With Passive Heat Pipe Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing enclosures for electronic devices in extreme conditions face challenges in protecting components from environmental elements and managing heat efficiently without high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A container with an external enclosure, insulation, interior enclosure filled with dielectric fluid, and a passive heat exchanger using heat pipes to manage temperature and dissipate heat, utilizing convective and evaporative cooling mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If refrigerant based cooling systems are used, then heat management is effective, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger operates passively using natural convection and phase change of the dielectric fluid, eliminating the need for external power sources. The system self-regulates temperature by allowing hot regions to naturally drive fluid circulation and heat transfer, resolving the contradiction between effective cooling and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces active mechanical refrigeration systems with a passive thermal management system using natural convection currents and phase change. This substitution eliminates motors, compressors, and control systems while maintaining effective heat transfer through fundamental thermodynamic processes.
2Temperature
If refrigerant based systems are implemented, then cooling capability is achieved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric fluid automatically circulates through the heat exchanger based on temperature-driven convection currents, eliminating the need for pumps, valves, and control systems. This self-regulating mechanism dramatically reduces system complexity while maintaining cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex power delivery and control infrastructure required by traditional refrigeration systems, retaining only the essential heat transfer function through a simplified passive heat exchanger design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If electronic devices are placed in remote areas, then deployment flexibility increases, but protection from environmental conditions becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a dielectric fluid that provides both thermal management and environmental protection functions. This composite approach combines cooling and sealing capabilities in a single substance, protecting electronics from moisture and corrosion while enabling remote deployment without complex environmental control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric fluid serves multiple functions simultaneously: heat transfer medium, protective sealant, and insulation material. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate systems needed, simplifying the overall design for remote deployment while maintaining environmental protection.
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 container effectively protects electronic devices from adverse conditions and passively manages heat, reducing energy consumption while maintaining operational efficiency across wide temperature ranges.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanger is a passive heat exchanger and can be made of heat pipes
Implementation Method 2
Heat is drawn out of the interior enclosure through the interior enclosure shell and via the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
The interior enclosure is filled with a dielectric fluid
Implementation Method 4
The interior enclosure can have an extruded shell with fins providing for free convective heat transfer to the outside of the interior enclosure
Implementation Method 5
Any water within the interior enclosure falls to the bottom of the interior enclosure remote from the electronic devices as it has a higher specific gravity than the dielectric fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A container for one or more electronic devices is provided with a heat exchanger usable in extreme conditions to keep the contained electronic device(s) within a desired temperature range. The container has an external enclosure, insulation, an interior enclosure, and a heat exchanger. The electronic devices or components can be a board, a card or other type of electronic component, and they are contained within the interior enclosure. The interior enclosure is filled with a dielectric fluid. The heat exchanger is a passive heat exchanger and can be made of heat pipes. The heat exchanger has a first section within the interior enclosure and a second section exterior of the interior enclosure. Heat is drawn out of the interior enclosure through the interior enclosure shell and via the heat exchanger. Any water within the interior enclosure falls to the bottom of the interior enclosure.