Phase Change Heat Dissipation for Slim Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The development of slim and compact mobile processing devices is hindered by the need for increased fan power and larger heat dissipation fins to manage rising heat generation, which occupies internal volume and contradicts the goal of a slim design.
Innovation Solution
A heat dissipation device comprising a casing with a mixture of copper materials, phase change materials, and air, where the phase change material absorbs heat without temperature increase, allowing for efficient heat transfer and dispersion through copper tubes and partition plates, maintaining a comfortable temperature and reducing the need for a fan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If fan power and heat dissipation fin area are increased to improve heat dissipation efficiency, then heat dissipation performance is improved, but internal volume of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase change material (paraffin) that transitions from solid to liquid state to absorb heat from the heat source. This phase transition mechanism enables efficient heat absorption without requiring large-volume active cooling components like high-power fans, thus resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation efficiency and device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite heat dissipation structure combining copper materials (for thermal conduction), phase change material (for heat absorption), and air (for insulation and volume expansion during phase change). This composite approach achieves superior heat dissipation performance in a compact volume by leveraging the complementary properties of different materials.
2Temperature
If heat dissipation fin area is increased to dissipate additional heat, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change material absorbs heat through solid-liquid transition, eliminating the need for thick heat dissipation fins. This enables effective heat management in slim device profiles by replacing passive fin-based dissipation with active phase-change absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The air gaps within the composite structure serve as thermal intermediaries, providing insulation and accommodating volume expansion of the phase change material during melting. This intermediary role allows compact integration of heat dissipation components without increasing device thickness.
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 solution effectively absorbs heat without increasing temperature, maintaining a comfortable temperature range and enabling efficient heat dissipation in slim devices, thus addressing the challenge of heat management in compact electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
The heat dissipation material comprises 15 to 30 percent volume of a plurality of copper materials, 50 to 85 percent volume of a phase change material, and 15 to 20 percent volume of air
Implementation Method 2
the phase change material changes phase to absorb heat
Implementation Method 3
The air is more compressible than the phase change material so that the air gives up volume to the phase change material as the phase change material changes phase to absorb heat
Implementation Method 4
Copper tubes are disposed within the casing to distribute heat through the casing
Implementation Method 5
The heat dissipation device absorbs heat generated by the heat source through thermal radiation
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing, a heat source located in a casing, and a heat dissipation device disposed in a casing. The heat dissipation device is kept apart from the heat source. The heat dissipation device includes a casing having a heat dissipation material including 15 to 30 percent volume of multiple copper materials, 50 to 85 percent volume of a phase change material, and 15 to 20 percent volume of air. The casing has a surface facing the heat source. A central area and an outer ring area are defined on the surface. A geometric midpoint of the central area overlaps a geometric midpoint of the surface. An orthographic projection region of the heat source to the surface is located in the central area. The heat dissipation device absorbs heat generated by the heat source through thermal radiation.