Plate Heat Exchanger Microgrooves for Capillary Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pipes with grooves formed by extrusion face challenges in achieving sufficient capillary force due to groove width limitations, leading to reduced flow rates and inadequate cooling of heat-generating components, and the vacuum-sealing process is difficult, resulting in insufficient working fluid and reduced cooling capacity.
Innovation Solution
A plate-type heat exchanger with heat-medium-guiding grooves of extremely small widths formed between plate-shaped fins using a carving tool, allowing capillary force to move the heat medium from the condensing to the evaporating part, and a communication hole for easy fluid pouring and vacuum-degassing, preventing fluid boiling and ensuring a stable vacuum state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If grooves are formed by extrusion in existing heat pipes, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the groove width becomes too large to generate sufficient capillary force
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the groove width parameter from conventional large dimensions (formed by extrusion) to extremely small dimensions (1-100 micrometers). This parameter change enables sufficient capillary force generation while using laser processing instead of extrusion to achieve the required precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical extrusion process with laser processing. This substitution enables precise control of groove dimensions at the micrometer scale, which is necessary to generate adequate capillary force for moving the heat medium against gravity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the evaporating part is positioned higher than the condensing part, then the heat pipe can be installed in various orientations, but the capillary force becomes insufficient to move the heat medium back to the evaporating part
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the groove width parameter to extremely small dimensions (1-100 micrometers), which dramatically increases the capillary force. This enhanced capillary force is sufficient to move the heat medium against gravity when the evaporating part is positioned higher, enabling versatile installation orientations.
3Reliability
If a vacuum state is created in the heat pipe, then the heat medium can undergo efficient phase transformation, but the process of creating and maintaining the vacuum state is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a vacuum port that allows the vacuum state to be created in advance during the manufacturing process. The vacuum port is then sealed, maintaining the vacuum state without requiring continuous active pumping. This preliminary action approach simplifies the overall manufacturing process while ensuring reliable phase transformation.
4Force
If the groove width is reduced to increase capillary force, then the heat medium can be moved more effectively, but the manufacturing precision requirements become extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical machining methods with laser processing. This substitution enables precise control of groove width at the micrometer scale (1-100 micrometers) with consistent reproduction, meeting the high manufacturing precision requirements while achieving the necessary capillary force.
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 enables high-capacity heat medium transfer with uniform cooling efficiency, reducing the risk of component overheating and improving reliability by maintaining a stable vacuum state and sufficient working fluid circulation.
Implementation Method 1
heat-medium-guiding grooves of extremely small widths that have the necessary capillary force to move a heat medium from a condensing part to an evaporating part
Implementation Method 2
the working fluid accommodated within this space moves between an evaporating part and a condensing part, and the chip or the like is cooled as a result of repeated phase changes between vaporization and condensation
Implementation Method 3
maintaining a sufficient vacuum state, preventing boiling and ensuring consistent phase transformation of the working fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a plate-type heat exchanger in which a heat medium is sealed in a hollow part of an airtight structure formed in the interior of a plate-like container, and the heat medium is moved by capillary force from a condensing part to an evaporating part in the hollow part along heat-medium-guiding grooves formed in the container's inside surface portions that face the hollow part; wherein a plastic workable metal plate of specific thermal conductivity is prepared; a carving tool is used to repeatedly carve out a surface portion of the metal plate at specific intervals along the surface portion, forming a plurality of plate-like fins; and a plurality of grooves formed between these fins is used as heat-medium-guiding grooves. A plate-type heat exchanger is obtained which comprises extremely small heat-medium-guiding grooves that have the necessary capillary force to move the heat medium from the condensing part to the evaporating part without affecting the set alignment or other such characteristics.