Heat Pipe Wick Boundary Positioning for Gravity-Assisted Reflux
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat transfer devices with a heat pipe configuration for cooling electronic components, especially in top heat mode, face challenges due to increased size and complexity when trying to facilitate reflux of working fluid against gravity, making them difficult to mount on small devices like personal computers.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer device with a heat pipe featuring a first wick with large capillary pressure at the heat receiving section and a second wick with low flow resistance at the heat radiating section, along with a bent section where the boundary between the wicks is positioned below in the gravity direction, facilitating reflux and improving heat transfer efficiency without a complex mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vibrator is attached to the heat pipe to assist reflux of working fluid, then heat transfer characteristics improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the vibrator component from the heat pipe system. Instead of adding a mechanical vibration mechanism, the patent uses a purely passive structural design with bent sections and capillary wicks to achieve working fluid reflux, thereby improving heat transfer without increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe structure performs self-service by using its own geometric configuration (bent sections) and capillary properties of the wick to automatically drive working fluid reflux without external mechanical assistance. The condensed liquid working fluid naturally flows down through gravity along the bent section and is drawn upward by capillary pressure, creating a self-sustaining circulation system
2Reliability
If a vibrator is attached to the heat pipe to assist reflux, then heat transfer characteristics improve, but the capacity and size of the heat transfer device increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the vibrator component entirely, preventing any increase in heat pipe capacity or device volume. The solution relies on the existing internal structure and adds only minimal geometric modifications in the form of bent sections that do not significantly increase overall volume
Solution Approach 2:
The bent section introduces curvature to the heat pipe path, allowing the working fluid to change direction and flow downward for reflux. This curved geometry enables compact routing of the working fluid path without requiring additional space or volume expansion
3Volume of moving object
If the heat receiving section is disposed above the bent section in gravity direction, then compact design is achieved, but reflux of working fluid is hindered by gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The bent section creates a gravitational equipotential path where the working fluid can flow downward from the heat radiating section to the heat receiving section. By positioning the boundary section below the bent section in the gravity direction, the system utilizes gravity to drive reflux without requiring the heat receiving section to be at a lower elevation
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary wick material provides porous structure that generates capillary pressure to draw the working fluid upward against gravity from the boundary section to the heat receiving section. This porous material enables reflux capability while maintaining the compact top-heat configuration
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 enhances heat transfer efficiency by facilitating reflux of the working fluid to the heat receiving section, allowing for improved cooling performance in a compact and simple design suitable for small electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a first wick having a relatively large capillary pressure is disposed in the heat receiving section of the heat pipe
Implementation Method 2
a second wick having relatively small flow resistance is disposed in the heat radiating section of the heat pipe
Implementation Method 3
A boundary section between the first wick and the second wick is disposed below the bent section in a gravity direction
Implementation Method 4
the working fluid evaporates on the heat receiving section side in the container
Implementation Method 5
The evaporated working fluid is condensed on the heat radiation side to be liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A heat transfer device includes a heat pipe in which working fluid is enclosed, a heat receiving plate provided on one end side of the heat pipe and a heat radiating fin provided on the other end side of the heat pipe, a first wick and a second wick that transfer working fluid provided on an inner wall surface of the heat pipe, a bent section bent between the one end side and the other end side, and a boundary section between the first wick and the second wick disposed in a lower part in the gravity direction of the bent section of the heat pipe or the heat transfer device. The heat transfer device can improve heat transfer characteristics with a simple configuration.