Claims
- 1. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
at least two heat pipes; at least two working fluid reservoirs, one arranged in fluid communication with each of said heat pipes; at least two cold fingers, one arranged in thermal engagement with each of said heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with a portion of each of said heat pipes.
- 2. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 1 wherein a tube having a wicked interior passageway interconnects one of said at least two heat pipes to one of said at least two working fluid reservoirs.
- 3. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 2 comprising three heat pipes.
- 4. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 1 wherein said device to be cooled comprises a focal plane array.
- 5. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said heat pipes includes an evaporator end and a condenser end so that a cold finger thermally engages said condenser end and said device thermally engages said evaporator end.
- 6. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 5 wherein said working fluid essentially comprises at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
- 7. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
three heat pipes; three working fluid reservoirs, one arranged in fluid communication with each of said three heat pipes; three cold fingers, one arranged in thermal engagement with each of said three heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with a portion of each of said three heat pipes.
- 8. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 7 wherein each of said three heat pipes is connected in fluid communication with a corresponding one of said three working fluid reservoirs by at least one tube.
- 9. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 7 wherein said device to be cooled comprises a focal plane array.
- 10. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 7 wherein each of said heat pipes includes an evaporator end and a condenser end so that one of said three cold fingers thermally engages said condenser end and said device thermally engages said evaporator end of each of said heat pipes.
- 11. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 10 wherein said working fluid essentially comprises at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
- 12. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
three heat pipes; six working fluid reservoirs, two arranged in fluid communication with each of said three heat pipes; three cold fingers, one each arranged in thermal engagement with two of said six working fluid reservoirs and one of said heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with a portion of each of said three heat pipes.
- 13. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 12 wherein each heat pipe is connected in fluid communication with two of said six working fluid reservoirs by a tube.
- 14. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 13 wherein no more than two of said six working fluid reservoirs is cooled.
- 15. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
three heat pipes each including a condenser end and an evaporator end; a first working fluid reservoir arranged in fluid communication with a first heat pipe; a second working fluid reservoir arranged in fluid communication with a second heat pipe; a third working fluid reservoir arranged in fluid communication with a third heat pipe; three cold fingers, one arranged in thermal engagement with said condenser end of each of said heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with said evaporator end of each of said heat pipes.
- 16. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 15 wherein said working fluid reservoirs are connected to said heat pipes by a tube having a wicked interior surface.
- 17. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 15 wherein said device to be cooled comprises a focal plane array.
- 18. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 15 wherein said heat pipes comprise a working fluid essentially comprising at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
- 19. A method for forming a redundant heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
connecting a first working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a condenser end of a first heat pipe; cooling said condenser end of said first heat pipe while an evaporator end is arranged in thermal engagement with a device to be cooled; cooling said first fluid reservoir to a temperature that is substantially the same as the temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe; connecting a second working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a condenser end of a second heat pipe; maintaining said condenser end of a second heat pipe and said second working fluid reservoir at an ambient temperature above said temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe while an evaporator end of said second heat pipe is arranged in thermal engagement with said device to be cooled.
- 20. A method for forming a redundant heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
connecting a first working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a condenser end of a first heat pipe; connecting a second working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with said condenser end of said first heat pipe; connecting a third working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a condenser end of a second heat pipe; connecting a fourth working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with said condenser end of said second heat pipe; connecting a fifth working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a condenser end of a third heat pipe; connecting a sixth working fluid reservoir in fluid communication with said condenser end of said third heat pipe; cooling said condenser end of said first heat pipe while an evaporator end is arranged in thermal engagement with a device to be cooled; cooling said sixth working fluid reservoir to a temperature that is substantially the same as the temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe; cooling said fourth working fluid reservoir to a temperature that is substantially the same as the temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe; maintaining said condenser ends of said second and third heat pipes and at an ambient temperature above said temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe while an evaporator end of said second and third heat pipes is arranged in thermal engagement with said device to be cooled; and maintaining each of said first, said second, said third, and said fifth working fluid reservoirs at an ambient temperature above said temperature of said condenser end of said first heat pipe.
- 21. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
two heat pipes; two working fluid reservoirs, one arranged in fluid communication with each of said heat pipes; two cold fingers, one arranged in thermal engagement with each of said heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with a portion of each of said heat pipes so that a working fluid pressure within one of said two heat pipes remains supercritical.
- 22. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 21 wherein each of said heat pipes comprise an evaporator portion in thermal engagement with said device to be cooled so that said supercritical working fluid collects in said evaporator end of an inactive one of said two heat pipes.
- 23. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 21 wherein a tube having a wicked interior passageway interconnects one of said at least two heat pipes to one of said at least two working fluid reservoirs.
- 24. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 21 wherein said device to be cooled comprises a focal plane array.
- 25. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 21 wherein each of said heat pipes includes an evaporator end and a condenser end so that a cold finger thermally engages said condenser end and said device thermally engages said evaporator end so that said supercritical working fluid collects in said evaporator end of an inactive one of said two heat pipes.
- 26. A heat pipe diode assembly according to claim 25 wherein said working fluid essentially comprises at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
- 27. A heat pipe diode assembly comprising:
at least two heat pipes; at least two working fluid reservoirs, one arranged in fluid communication with each of said heat pipes; at least two cold fingers, one arranged in thermal engagement with each of said heat pipes; and a device to be cooled arranged in thermal engagement with a portion of each of said heat pipes so that a working fluid pressure within all but one of said at least two heat pipes remains supercritical.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from co-pending Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/365,322, filed Mar. 18, 2002, and entitled CRISM DIODE HEAT PIPE ASSEMBLY.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60365322 |
Mar 2002 |
US |