Layered Heat Pipe Inlet Port Sealing for Airtight Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pipe sealing methods, such as welding or stamping, often result in degraded airtightness due to structural constraints and non-uniform compression, especially in heat pipes with frame-like cross-sectional shapes, leading to potential leaks and reduced efficiency in cooling electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A heat pipe design featuring an inlet port with multiple metal layers that form an unsealed and sealed part, where the intermediate layers have stepped inner walls to create an injection channel, and the entire structure is hermetically sealed by compressing the metal layers to contact each other, using ultrasonic waves for bonding, ensuring airtightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If welding, soldering, or silver brazing is used to seal the inlet port, then the inlet port can be sealed, but the airtightness may degrade depending on usage environment and structural constraints limit pipe diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet port is divided into multiple metal layers (first outermost layer, intermediate layers, and second outermost layer) that are stacked and sealed separately. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute to the overall sealing function, improving airtightness while avoiding the limitations of single-method sealing approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet port uses a composite structure of multiple metal layers with different properties. The intermediate layers contain openings that form injection channels, while the outermost layers provide sealing surfaces. This composite structure enables both sealing functionality and fluid injection capability without compromising airtightness.
2Reliability
If stamping is used to seal the inlet port, then sealing is achieved, but the sidewalls serve as posts preventing uniform connection and airtightness degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic sidewall posts are removed from the sealing structure. Instead of relying on sidewalls to prevent deformation, the invention uses a flat sealing structure where the end surface is compressed uniformly between the first and second outermost layers, eliminating the posts that caused non-uniform connection.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using sidewalls to maintain structure during sealing (as in conventional stamping), the invention inverts the approach by using a flat compression method where the entire end surface is pressed uniformly. The sealing is achieved by compressing the metal layers toward each other, with the outermost layers forming the sealing surfaces rather than relying on peripheral sidewalls.
3Reliability
If the inlet port is vertically compressed to seal it, then sealing is achieved, but the frame-like structure prevents uniform compression and connection
Solution Approach 1:
The frame-like structure with sidewalls is removed from the sealing region. The invention uses a flat, solid structure without protruding posts, allowing uniform vertical compression across the entire end surface of the inlet port.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal layers are designed with different local properties: the intermediate layers have openings for injection channels in specific regions, while the outermost layers provide continuous sealing surfaces. This local differentiation enables both sealing functionality and uniform compression without frame-like constraints.
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 proposed design enhances the airtightness of the inlet port, preventing fluid leaks and maintaining efficient heat transfer by ensuring that each metal layer contacts others, even with gaps between them, thus improving the sealing effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
using ultrasonic waves for bonding, ensuring airtightness
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A heat pipe includes (1, 5) an inlet port (90, 91). The inlet port (90, 91) includes an unsealed part (90a, 91a) and a sealed part (90b, 91b) that include metal layers that are a first outermost layer (901), intermediate layers (902-905) stacked on the first outermost layer (901), and a second outermost layer (906) stacked on the intermediate layers (902-905). In the unsealed part (90a, 91a), the intermediate layers (902-905) include respective openings (902x-905x) and respective first and second walls (902a-905a, 902b-905b) on first and second opposite sides, respectively, of the openings (902x-905x). The openings (902x-905x) form an injection channel (908) defined by the first and second outermost layers (901, 906) and the first and second walls (902a-905a, 902b-905b) of the intermediate layers (902-905). The inner wall faces (902s-905s) of the first walls (902a-905a) and the inner wall faces (902s-905s) of the second walls (902b-905b) of at least two adjacent intermediate layers form a first step and a second step, respectively. In the sealed part (90b, 91b), each metal layer contacts one or more of other metal layers to hermetically seal the inlet port (90, 91).