Heat Pipe Wick Structure for Vapor Flow and Shape Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pipes with flattened containers face challenges in maintaining sufficient flow characteristics and heat transport efficiency due to reduced wick structure installation and vapor flow paths, leading to fluid accumulation and abnormal noise during posture changes in electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A heat pipe design featuring a wick structure with a first thick portion and a second thinner portion, where the second portion extends outward and has a flat section perpendicular to the container's height, enhancing vapor flow paths and preventing fluid accumulation through capillary forces, thereby improving fluid flow and heat transport while minimizing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a stay is provided inside the flattened container to prevent deformation, then the container maintains its shape and provides a flow path, but the wick structure installation area reduces and vapor flow path reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the stay structure from the heat pipe design and instead relies on the wick structure itself to maintain the container shape. The wick structure is designed to extend from the evaporator to the condenser and maintain the flattened container's shape without requiring additional stay structures, thereby extracting the shape-maintaining function from a separate component and integrating it into the wick structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick structure serves multiple functions: it provides capillary action for fluid return, maintains the container's flattened shape, and defines the vapor flow path. By making the wick structure multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate stay structures while preserving both shape stability and adequate vapor flow path area.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the wick structure extends over the entire width direction to maintain shape, then the container shape is stable, but the vapor flow path reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the wick structure specifically in the central portion of the container in the width direction, rather than extending it across the entire width. This localized placement provides sufficient shape stability in the critical central region while leaving the end portions open for adequate vapor flow and heat transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick structure is segmented into a central portion that maintains shape and end portions that allow vapor flow. This segmentation separates the shape-maintaining function (central wick) from the vapor flow function (end portions), resolving the contradiction between shape stability and heat transport efficiency.
3Volume of moving object
If the container is flattened to downsize the heat pipe, then the heat pipe size reduces, but the wick structure installation area and vapor flow path reduce
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the wick structure in the central portion of the flattened container where it is most needed for shape stability, while leaving the end portions of the flattened container open for adequate vapor flow. This localized approach maintains compact size while preserving flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the height dimension (thickness direction) of the flattened container to provide sufficient wick structure installation area. By extending the wick structure through the height of the flattened container in the central portion, the design compensates for the reduced width and length, maintaining adequate capillary action area without increasing the overall footprint.
4Productivity
If working fluid accumulates in the vapor flow path of the condenser portion, then fluid flow characteristics deteriorate, but abnormal noise occurs when posture changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing the wick structure to extend into the condenser portion in advance, creating capillary pathways that prevent liquid accumulation before it can occur. The wick structure is positioned to intercept and return liquid phase working fluid to the evaporator before it accumulates in the vapor flow path, preventing both flow deterioration and noise generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick structure acts as an intermediary between the condenser and evaporator, providing a capillary pathway that mediates the working fluid flow. It intercepts liquid phase fluid in the condenser portion and transports it back to the evaporator, preventing accumulation and the subsequent noise problems that occur during posture changes.
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 design achieves excellent flow characteristics and heat transport efficiency, preventing fluid accumulation and noise even when electronic device postures change, by ensuring adequate vapor flow paths and capillary absorption, thus enhancing the heat pipe's performance in cooling electronic components.
Implementation Method 1
a wick structure provided inside the container... the second wick portion includes a flat portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a height direction of an internal space of the container
Implementation Method 2
working fluid enclosed inside the container... working fluid in gas-phase flows... working fluid in liquid-phase
Implementation Method 3
Heat pipes are sometimes used as a unit configured to cool electronic components
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pipe including a container being a tubular body, the container having an end surface of one end portion and an end surface of another end portion, the end surfaces each being sealed; a wick structure provided inside the container; and a working fluid enclosed inside the container. The wick structure includes a first wick portion and a second wick portion in at least one cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the container, the second wick portion being integral with the first wick portion, the second wick portion extending outward from the first wick portion, the second wick portion being thinner than the first wick portion, and the second wick portion includes a flat portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a height direction of the internal space of the container.