Loop Heat Pipe Porous Body With Concave Bottomed Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing loop heat pipes face challenges in forming pores with consistent sizes due to positional errors when stacking metal layers, which affects the capillary force generated, leading to insufficient reduction of vapor back-streaming from the evaporator to the liquid pipe.
Innovation Solution
The loop heat pipe design includes a porous body with a first metal layer featuring a first bottomed hole and a second bottomed hole that partially communicate, forming a pore with a concave-shaped inner wall surface, allowing for consistent pore formation and enhanced capillary force, thereby reducing vapor back-streaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple metal layers with through-holes are stacked to form pores, then a porous body can be created to generate capillary force, but positional errors occur during stacking that lead to inconsistent pore sizes and reduced capillary force
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the pore formation process into two independent stages: first forming bottomed holes in each metal layer separately, then stacking the layers to allow partial communication between adjacent bottomed holes. This segmentation eliminates the need for precise alignment of through-holes across multiple layers, as each layer's holes are formed independently and then connected through stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional through-hole alignment approach to a three-dimensional bottomed hole communication approach. By forming holes that extend partially through the thickness of each layer and relying on vertical stacking to create communication paths, the design adds a dimensional aspect that tolerates lateral positional variations.
2Strength
If heat treatment is performed during stacking of metal layers, then bonding between layers is achieved, but thermal expansion and contraction cause positional errors in the through-holes
Solution Approach 1:
The bottomed holes are formed in each metal layer before the stacking and heat treatment processes. This preliminary formation of holes ensures their positions are established while the material is in its initial state, before any thermal expansion or contraction occurs during bonding, thereby preventing positional drift.
Solution Approach 2:
The hole formation process is segmented from the bonding process. Bottomed holes are created in individual layers prior to assembly, separating the precision hole formation operation from the thermal bonding operation, thus avoiding the coupling of thermal effects with hole alignment.
3Reliability
If through-holes are formed in metal layers and stacked, then a porous structure is created, but vapor back-streaming from evaporator to liquid pipe is not sufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes capillary action (a fluid mechanical phenomenon) by creating a porous structure with consistent pore sizes. The capillary force generated in the porous body acts to prevent vapor back-streaming from the evaporator to the liquid pipe, leveraging fluid dynamics principles to solve the vapor flow control problem.
4Manufacturing precision
If metal layers are stacked with through-holes at partially overlapping positions, then pores are formed, but the complexity of achieving precise alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming complete through-holes that require precise alignment when stacked, the invention inverts the approach by forming bottomed holes that stop before completely penetrating the layers. The holes are designed to communicate when layers are stacked, reversing the traditional through-hole alignment paradigm and simplifying the stacking process.
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 design stabilizes the capillary force and effectively reduces vapor back-streaming from the evaporator to the liquid pipe, ensuring efficient heat transfer and improved cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
The working fluid inside the liquid pipe is guided to the evaporator by a capillary force generated by the porous body, to reduce back-streaming of the vapor from the evaporator to the liquid pipe
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator configured to vaporize a working fluid by the heat from the heat generating component to generate vapor
Implementation Method 3
a condenser configured to cool the vapor of the working fluid to liquefy the vapor
Data Source
AI summary
A loop heat pipe includes an evaporator to vaporize a working fluid, a condenser to liquefy the working fluid, a liquid pipe to connect the evaporator and the condenser, a porous body provided inside a flow passage in which the working fluid or vapor thereof flows, and a vapor pipe to connect the evaporator and the condenser and form a loop-shaped passage together with the liquid pipe. The porous body includes a metal layer including a first bottomed hole that caves in from a first surface thereof, a second bottomed hole that caves in from a second surface thereof, opposite to the first surface, and a pore formed by and partially communicating the first and second bottomed holes. An inner wall surface of each of the first and second bottomed holes formed in the porous body has a concave shape formed by a curved surface.