Patent Application
20070175614
The present invention relates generally to a loop heat exchange apparatus, and more particularly to a loop heat exchange apparatus that can perform heat exchange with a plurality of heat sources.
Modern computers have gained more and more computing power, and faster and faster operation speed. The computer industry has also revolutionized the way computers are made and designed. The new generation central processing unit provided the enhanced computing power. However, it also generates a huge amount of heat, which should be properly dissipated. It is important to use an efficient cooling system, such that the central processing unit can operate under a normal working temperature. Currently, a heat pipe that is highly thermal conductive, that can rapidly dissipate heat without consuming electricity, and that is light in weight, is used to satisfy the demand in electronic products.
Normally speaking, when the opening of a heat pipe is sealed, a circular disc on a processing machine is used. A plurality of clamps is disposed on the circular disc. The clamps are provided for holding and fastening the heat pipes. In addition, a plurality of work stations is disposed surrounding the edge of the circular disc. Each work station includes a sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism includes a welding torch. The heat pipes are intermittently carried to the sealing mechanism by the rotation of the disc, which allows the torch to seal the heat pipe sequentially.
However, since the heat pipe does not rotate when one is sealing its opening, the welding bath will drain down due to gravity before solidification, which renders it difficult to seal the upper portion of the heat pipe, thereby inducing defects, such as being ripped or thinned. Thus, the opening of the heat pipe is not properly sealed. Particularly, the heat pipe fabricated for dissipating heat from a plurality of heat sources is even harder to manufacture.
Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention realized the drawbacks in the conventional art, and developed the present invention that can overcome the drawbacks described above.
The present invention is to provide a loop heat exchange apparatus that can easily and quickly assemble a first heat pipe having a heat reception portion, a plurality of second heat pipes each having a condensation portion, such that the two heat pipes are communicably connected. The loop heat exchange apparatus of the present invention can perform heat exchange simultaneously with a plurality of heat sources.
One particular feature of the present invention is in that the loop heat exchange apparatus includes at least a first heat pipe having a heat reception portion, a plurality of second heat pipes each having a condensation portion, a plurality of evaporators disposed on the first heat pipe for contacting the heat source, and a connection mechanism. One end of the second heat pipes is inserted in the evaporator, while the other end of the second heat pipes is inserted to the connection mechanism of the first heat pipe. The evaporator and the connection mechanism are drilled, cleaned, filled with working fluid, evacuated and sealed. In this manner, the first heat pipe and the second heat pipes can form a tightly sealed loop heat exchange apparatus, which can perform heat exchange simultaneously with a plurality of heat sources.
In order to better understanding the features and technical contents of the present invention, the present invention is hereinafter described in detail by incorporating with the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings are only for the convenience of illustration and description, no limitation is intended thereto.
Referring to
The first heat pipe 1 includes a working fluid or a capillary structure 11. The heat reception portion is disposed corresponding to the heat source 20, e.g. CPU, thereby allowing the heat generated from the operation of heat source 20 to transfer to the first heat pipe 1. The temperature of the working fluid will increase after the heat exchange is performed on the working fluid or the capillary structure 11. Then, the working fluid is transfer to the condensation portion of the second heat pipe 2 for further heat exchange. The condensation portion of the second heat pipe is composed of a plurality of cooling fins 21. The hot working fluid is condensed back to liquid phase by performing heat exchange with the cooling fins 21 and transported to the first heat pipe 1.
Referring again to
Referring also to
Referring to
In order to clean the inner part of the heat pipe, one needs to access the unsealed pipe opening 12 of the first heat pipe 1. A working fluid and a capillary structure 11 are disposed therein after the heat pipe 1 is cleaned. Then, the heat pipe 1 is evacuated. Next, the unsealed pipe opening 12, the evaporator 3, and the communicable holes 34, 44 on one side of the connection body 31, 41 of the connection mechanism 4 are sealed. In this particular embodiment, the unsealed pipe opening 12 of the first heat pipe 1 can be sealed by a soldering procedure. Sealing portions 35, 45 can be used to tightly seal the communicable holes 34, 44 on one side surface of the evaporator 3 and the connection structure 4. The sealing portion 35, 45 can be a plug. In this manner, a tightly sealed loop heat exchange apparatus 10 is obtained.
In addition, in this particular embodiment, the first pipe body 20 includes a flattened liquid seal region 14 adjacent the heat reception portion. The liquid seal region 14 allows the condensed working fluid to fill therein, thereby forming a liquid seal so as to form an evaporating region of largest possible area. Consequently, the heat pipe will have smaller thermal resistance, higher heat transfer rate, and better thermal conductivity.
In the present invention, the heat generated from the operation of the heat sources 20 is conducted to the first heat pipe 1 via the heat conductive evaporator 3. A heat exchange is performed with the working fluid and the capillary structure 11 of the first heat pipe 1. After the heat exchange, the working fluid of higher temperature is transferred to the condensation portion via the second heat pipe 2 of the evaporator 3 for further heat exchange. The working fluid is then condensed and flowed back to the other end of the second heat pipe, which is returned to the heat reception portion of the first heat pipe 1, thereby continuously performing the heat exchange process.
Moreover, referring to
According to the descriptions given above, the loop heat exchange apparatus 10 of the present invention can easily and quickly connect the first heat pipe 1 having a heat reception portion and a plurality of second heat pipes 2 having a condensation portion, and can dissipate heat generated from a plurality of heat sources 20. The assembly and the usage of the loop heat exchange apparatus of the present invention become easier and more convenient.
In summary, the loop heat exchange apparatus of the present invention indeed satisfies the patentability requirements of the patent law, a grant of letters patent therefor is thus respectfully requested.
Since, any person having ordinary skill in the art may readily find various equivalent alterations or modifications in light of the features as disclosed above, it is appreciated that the scope of the present invention is defined in the following claims. Therefore, all such equivalent alterations or modifications without departing from the subject matter as set forth in the following claims is considered within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
