Two-Phase Heat Sink with Porous Wick for Passive Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling devices for outdoor base station devices, such as RRUs and MIMO devices, face challenges in improving natural heat dissipation capabilities due to high heat consumption and reliance on inefficient thermal conductivity of die-cast aluminum substrates, necessitating a more effective cooling solution.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase heat sink design incorporating a chamber with a wick area for phase conversion of a cooling fluid, coupled with cooling fins and an attachment area, enhances heat dissipation by utilizing capillary effects and reducing fluid volume, featuring porous wick areas and roll-bonded cooling fins for improved thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional die-cast aluminum substrates are used for heat dissipation, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the thermal conductivity is insufficient and heat dissipation capability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink is divided into a substrate and separate fin structures that can be independently manufactured and then assembled together through bonding processes, allowing optimization of each component's manufacturing process while achieving superior thermal performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by bonding fin structures to the substrate, creating a multi-material system that combines the manufacturing advantages of die-cast aluminum with the enhanced thermal conductivity of optimized fin geometries and materials
2Temperature
If cooling fans or circulating liquid cooling are used to improve heat dissipation, then the cooling capability is enhanced, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to moving parts and fluid circulation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink design enables passive heat dissipation through naturally driven convection currents and phase change mechanisms, allowing the system to cool itself without external power sources, moving parts, or complex fluid circulation systems, thereby maintaining high reliability while achieving superior cooling performance
3Temperature
If more cooling fluid is used to improve phase conversion and cooling capacity, then the heat dissipation performance is improved, but the weight and volume of the heat sink increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase change mechanisms where the cooling fluid transitions between liquid and vapor phases to absorb and transport heat efficiently, allowing a smaller volume of fluid to achieve the same cooling capacity compared to single-phase cooling systems, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining high cooling performance
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 two-phase heat sink achieves higher thermal conductivity and reduced weight by optimizing phase conversion and fluid boiling, ensuring efficient heat dissipation and temperature uniformity across multiple heat sources.
Implementation Method 1
the wick area is for converting the cooling fluid from a liquid phase to a vapor phase, the wick area being arranged at an inner surface of the first wall section, wherein the attachment area and the wick area overlap with each other at least partly
Implementation Method 2
the wick area is for converting the cooling fluid from a liquid phase to a vapor phase
Implementation Method 3
the wick area is a porous wick area... the cooling capability is further improved due to the porous wick area which means that a higher conversion factor of the cooling fluid from the liquid to vapor phase is possible
Implementation Method 4
cooling fins coupled to the chamber thereby allowing the cooling fluid to circulate between the chamber and the cooling fins in operation
Implementation Method 5
an attachment area arranged at an outer surface of the first wall section for attaching a heat source to the first wall section
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to a two-phase heat sink (100) for cooling an electrical heat source (200). The two-phase heat sink (100) comprises a chamber (110) which is configured to receive a cooling fluid (F). For improved cooling and heat dissipation, the chamber (110) in its inner surface (112″) comprises a wick area (134) for converting the cooling fluid (F) from a liquid phase to a vapor phase. The wick area (134) and an attachment area (132) overlap with each other at least partly. Thereby, improved cooling is provided. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention also relate to a heat sink comprising two or more such two-phase heat sinks.