Flexible Heat Cable for Remote Electronic Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for electronic devices lack flexibility, making it difficult to replace components efficiently and effectively dissipate heat in power electronic systems where high heat generation occurs within a small volume.
Innovation Solution
A flexible heat transfer device using a thermosyphon mechanism with a heat collector, condenser unit, and thermal interface, allowing for remote heat absorption and dissipation via a heat transfer device made from flexible materials, which can be routed and attached in various configurations, and includes an electrical connection for simultaneous thermal and electrical energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cooling systems are used, then heat dissipation is achieved, but mechanical flexibility and routing adaptability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate modular components: a heat collector unit that attaches to the electronic device, a flexible heat transfer cable containing thermosyphon elements, and a remote heat sink. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables flexible routing configurations to adapt to different geometric arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer cable employs flexible materials including corrugated metal hoses or flexible conduits to enclose the thermosyphon elements. This flexible enclosure allows the heat cable to be routed and attached in various geometric configurations while maintaining thermal performance, directly addressing the need for mechanical flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heat is transferred remotely, then mechanical design flexibility is improved, but thermal performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The thermosyphon mechanism utilizes phase transitions of a working fluid (evaporation at the heat collector and condensation at the heat sink) to transfer heat efficiently over the flexible cable length. This phase change mechanism maintains high thermal performance despite the remote heat transfer and flexible routing, overcoming the thermal performance deterioration issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer cable combines flexible structural materials (corrugated metal hose or flexible conduit) with thermally conductive materials to create a composite structure. This composite construction maintains mechanical flexibility for geometric adaptation while ensuring sufficient thermal conduction performance over the cable length.
3Ease of operation
If flexible materials are used for heat transfer, then routing flexibility is improved, but heat conductivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible shell (corrugated metal hose or flexible conduit) serves as the structural enclosure that provides routing flexibility and mechanical durability. By placing the thermosyphon elements inside this flexible shell rather than making the shell itself the primary heat conductor, the system achieves both ease of routing and maintained heat conductivity through the thermosyphon mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermosyphon mechanism employs hydraulic principles using a working fluid that circulates through phase change within the flexible cable. This fluid-based heat transfer mechanism compensates for the lower thermal conductivity of flexible materials, maintaining effective heat transfer performance while enabling easy routing and attaching.
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
Enables efficient heat dissipation from electronic devices to a remote heat sink, facilitating mechanical design flexibility and adaptability in power electronic systems, allowing for easy integration with external cooling systems and maintaining high thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
two-phase heat transfer means are enclosed
Implementation Method 2
The heat transfer device is constructed as a thermosyphon
Implementation Method 3
a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device 101 to be cooled includes a heat collector device 100 which is in thermal contact with the electronic device 101, a heat sink 200 for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device 100 and comprising a condenser unit 103 and a thermal interface unit 201, wherein the condenser unit 103 is cooled down via the thermal interface unit 201, and a heat transfer device 300 made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device 100 to the heat sink 200. The thermal interface unit 201 is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit 103 of the heat sink 200 thermally and removably to an external cooling means.