Loop Heat Pipe Vapor Line Segmentation for Lower Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional loop heat pipes suffer from significant vapor and liquid circulation limitations due to shared lines, leading to high pressure losses and restricted cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A loop heat pipe design with dedicated vapor lines and multiple condensation chambers, featuring a primary and secondary capillary structure, and vapor ducts to minimize flow resistance and enhance cooling capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single vapor line is used to collect and transport vapor to the condenser, then the device complexity is reduced, but the pressure losses increase significantly and cooling performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single vapor line into multiple separate vapor lines, with each groove in the capillary structure having its own dedicated vapor line extending to the condenser. This segmentation reduces the total flow resistance and pressure losses by distributing the vapor flow across multiple parallel pathways, thereby improving cooling performance without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Device complexity
If vapor and liquid circulate in the same volume in opposite directions, then the device structure is simplified, but the cooling performance is hampered due to mutual interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements separate circulation paths for vapor and liquid phases. Vapor travels through dedicated vapor lines from the evaporator to the condenser, while liquid returns through separate liquid lines from the condenser to the evaporator. This spatial segmentation eliminates mutual interference between phases, allowing both to circulate independently without hampering each other's flow, thereby significantly improving cooling performance.
3Productivity
If the number of vapor lines is increased to reduce pressure losses, then the cooling performance is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vapor line structure with the capillary groove structure by forming vapor lines directly within or integrated to the grooves of the capillary structure. This combining approach allows multiple vapor lines to be created without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity, as the vapor lines are formed as part of the same structural component rather than being separate assembled parts.
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 improves cooling performance by reducing pressure losses and enhancing fluid flow, allowing for efficient heat dissipation across various orientations and heat loads.
Implementation Method 1
a primary capillary structure adjacent to the heat receiving side of the enclosure and extending to the side walls of the evaporator chamber
Implementation Method 2
Two-phase capillary thermal control devices such as heat pipes, vapor chambers, capillary pumped loops, and loop heat pipes (LHP)
Data Source
AI summary
A loop heat pipe includes: an evaporator having an enclosure with a heat receiving side and side walls with openings forming an evaporator chamber, the evaporator chamber including a primary capillary structure adjacent to the heat receiving side of the enclosure and extending to the side walls of the evaporator chamber, a plurality of grooves in the primary capillary structure, each of which extends from an opening in one of the side walls to an opening in an opposite side wall, the plurality of grooves transporting vapor from the primary capillary structure to the openings; and a condenser.