Loop Heat Pipe Wick Segmentation for Flow Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional heat pipes face limitations in heat dissipation due to high flow resistance and capillary limitations, leading to reduced performance and increased costs, making them unsuitable for high-power electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A loop heat conducting device with a wick network core and separate gas and liquid passages, where the wick network core is contained within the evaporator, utilizing a smooth pipe for liquid flow and a vapor chamber for gas output, enhancing capillary force and reducing flow resistance, allowing for higher wattage handling and flexible design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wick structure is attached to the entire internal walls of the heat pipe to provide capillary force, then the liquid working medium can be pumped back, but the flow resistance inside the wick structure causes significant pressure drops and reduces performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat pipe structure by separating the wick structure from the liquid flow path. The wick structure is only attached to the evaporator inner wall where it is needed for liquid generation, while the liquid flows through a smooth connecting passage without wick contact, eliminating unnecessary flow resistance while maintaining capillary pumping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the wick structure from the entire internal wall and relocates it only to the evaporator section. This removes the harmful effect of wick-induced flow resistance from the liquid return path while preserving the beneficial capillary action where it is most needed for liquid generation and initial pumping.
2Loss of energy
If traditional heat pipe structures are used to achieve high heat conduction, then heat dissipation performance is improved, but the structure becomes complex and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heat pipe into distinct functional sections: an evaporator section with wick structure for liquid generation, a smooth connecting passage for low-resistance liquid flow, and a condenser section. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining high heat conduction performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different sections: the evaporator has a wick structure for capillary action, the connecting passage has a smooth surface for low friction, and the condenser has the appropriate heat dissipation structure. This local optimization achieves high overall performance with simpler, more manufacturable components.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the wick structure is extended throughout the entire pipe to ensure capillary force, then liquid circulation is maintained, but the flow resistance increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the liquid circulation path into a wick-based liquid generation zone in the evaporator and a smooth-flow liquid return zone in the connecting passage. This ensures stable liquid circulation through capillary action where needed while maximizing flow efficiency where the liquid returns to the evaporator.
Solution Approach 2:
The smooth connecting passage acts as an intermediary between the evaporator and condenser, providing a low-resistance pathway for liquid flow. This intermediary structure mediates between the need for capillary action in the evaporator and the need for efficient liquid return, eliminating the conflict between circulation stability and flow resistance.
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 solution achieves optimal heat dissipation performance, reduces production costs, and simplifies manufacturing, making it suitable for high-performance, lightweight electronic devices while maintaining structural integrity and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The wick structure (1b') itself is able to absorb liquid and cause the wick structure (1b') to be filled with a liquid working medium
Implementation Method 2
When heat is added to the evaporator (1'), the wick structure (1b') will be heated up as well, and the liquid in the wick structure (1b') will be evaporated to become vapor
Implementation Method 3
As the vapor flows along the vapor section (2a') and arrives at the condenser (3'), the vapor will be condensed to become a liquid
Implementation Method 4
Following advances in technology, the development of electronic products has been growing rapidly... the corresponding power that is used also becomes increasingly high... the concentration of heat generation over the surface of the electronic components will also increase rapidly
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a type of loop heat conducting device, comprising an evaporator and a condenser which are connected together by means of a loop pipe, in order to form a cyclic loop for a liquid working medium, wherein the evaporator has a wick network core, and multiple tunnels are formed on the wick network core, and one end of the tunnels converges at a vapor chamber and is connected to a loop pipe to form a gaseous working medium outlet, and the terminal end of the pipe extends into and comes into contact with the internal part of the wick network core, and a compensation chamber for liquid working medium is formed on the upper section of the wick network core. Consequently, the cyclic loop that separates the gas and liquid enables the optimal heat dissipation capacity, and also has a structure that is simplified, thereby allowing for easy mass production.