The present disclosure relates generally to synthetic jet ejectors, and more particularly to systems and methods for attaching heat sinks to synthetic jet ejectors.
A variety of thermal management devices are known to the art, including conventional fan based systems, piezoelectric systems, and synthetic jet ejectors. The latter type of system has emerged as a highly efficient and versatile solution, especially in applications where thermal management is required at the local level.
Various examples of synthetic jet ejectors are known to the art. Earlier examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,823 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Actuator and Applications Thereof”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,990 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Actuator and Applications Thereof”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,522 (Glezer et al.), entitled Synthetic Jet Actuators for Modifying the Direction of Fluid Flows”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,204 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Actuators for Mixing Applications”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,145 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Actuators for Cooling Heated Bodies and Environments”; and U.S. 6,588,497 (Glezer et al.), entitled “System and Method for Thermal Management by Synthetic Jet Ejector Channel Cooling Techniques.
Further advances have been made in the art of synthetic jet ejectors, both with respect to synthetic jet ejector technology in general and with respect to the applications of this technology. Some examples of these advances are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,140 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Apparatus and Method for Enhanced Heat Transfer”; U.S. 7,606,029 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for Distributed Heat Sources”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,470 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Heat Pipe Thermal Management System”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,760,499 (Darbin et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for Card Cages”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,768,779 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Ejector with Viewing Window and Temporal Aliasing”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,972 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for LED Array”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,556 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for LED Array”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,535 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Cooling System for LED Module”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,030,886 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Thermal Management of Batteries Using Synthetic Jets”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,035,966 (Reichenbach et al.), entitled “Electronics Package for Synthetic Jet Ejectors”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,410 (Booth et al.), entitled “Light Fixture with Multiple LEDs and Synthetic Jet Thermal Management System”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,910 (Beltran et al.), entitled “Acoustic Resonator for Synthetic Jet Generation for Thermal Management”; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,136,576 (Grimm), entitled “Vibration Isolation System for Synthetic Jet Devices”.
In addition to the foregoing, other advances have been made in the art of synthetic jet ejectors, both with respect to synthetic jet ejector technology in general and with respect to the applications of this technology. Some examples of these advances are described in U.S. 20100263838 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Ejector for Augmentation of Pumped Liquid Loop Cooling and Enhancement of Pool and Flow Boiling”; U.S. 20100039012 (Grimm), entitled “Advanced Synjet Cooler Design For LED Light Modules”; U.S. 20100033071 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Thermal Management of LED Illumination Devices”; U.S. 20090141065 (Darbin et al.), entitled “Method and Apparatus for Controlling Diaphragm Displacement in Synthetic Jet Actuators”; U.S. 20090109625 (Booth et al.), entitled Light Fixture with Multiple LEDs and Synthetic Jet Thermal Management System“; U.S. 20090084866 (Grimm et al.), entitled Vibration Balanced Synthetic Jet Ejector”; U.S. 20080219007 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for LED Array”; U.S. 20080151541 (Heffington et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for LED Array”; U.S. 20080043061 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Methods for Reducing the Non-Linear Behavior of Actuators Used for Synthetic Jets”; U.S. 20080009187 (Grimm et al.), entitled “Moldable Housing design for Synthetic Jet Ejector”; U.S. 20070096118 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Cooling System for LED Module”; U.S. 20070023169 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Ejector for Augmentation of Pumped Liquid Loop Cooling and Enhancement of Pool and Flow Boiling”; U.S. 20070119573 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Ejector for the Thermal Management of PCI Cards”; U.S. 20070119575 (Glezer et al.), entitled “Synthetic Jet Heat Pipe Thermal Management System”; U.S. 20070127210 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Thermal Management System for Distributed Heat Sources”; and U.S. 20070141453 (Mahalingam et al.), entitled “Thermal Management of Batteries using Synthetic Jets”.
In one aspect, a method is provided for assembling a thermal management system. The method comprises (a) providing a synthetic jet actuator; (b) providing a PCB having a frame attached thereto which is equipped with at least one element therein which pressingly engages the synthetic jet actuator; and (c) attaching the synthetic jet actuator to said frame by way of the element.
In another aspect, a thermal management system is provided which comprises (a) a synthetic jet actuator; and (b) a frame having at least one element therein which pressingly engages said synthetic jet actuator.
In a further aspect, a thermal management system is provided which comprises (a) a synthetic jet actuator equipped with a first mating feature; and (b) a housing equipped with a second mating feature; wherein the first mating feature rotatingly engages the second mating feature, and wherein at least one of the first and second mating features is a threaded surface.
In another aspect, a thermal management system is provided which comprises a heat sink, and a synthetic jet actuator comprising a stator and a voice coil; wherein said stator includes a back iron that is either attached to, or is integral with, said heat sink.
In another aspect, a method is provided for making a thermal management device equipped with a synthetic jet ejector, a heat sink and a housing. The method comprises placing the heat sink into a mold; and using the mold to form a portion of the housing.
In a further aspect, a light source is provided which comprises a heat sink; and an LED mounted on said heat sink such that a surface of the LED is in physical contact with a surface of the heat sink.
In still another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises a diaphragm having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter; and a clamp which physically secures at least a portion of at least one of the inner and outer perimeters into place.
In another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises a diaphragm having an inner and outer perimeter; a first protrusion disposed on at least one of said inner and outer perimeters; and a first member which engages said first protrusion, thereby securing at least a portion of at least one of the inner and outer perimeters into place.
In a further aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises a diaphragm having an inner and outer perimeter; a first protrusion disposed on at least one of said inner and outer perimeters; and engaging means for engaging said first protrusion, thereby securing said diaphragm in place.
In a further aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises a diaphragm; and a frame which supports said diaphragm; wherein said frame is equipped with a first threaded surface.
In yet another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a diaphragm; (b) a coil former; and first and second motor coils spaced apart and disposed along the axis of the coil former such that, when the diaphragm is in a first position, the first coil is disposed in the center of the magnetic inductance field, and when the diaphragm is in a second position, the second coil is disposed in the center of the magnetic inductance field.
In another aspect, a method is provided for forming tinsel on a synthetic jet actuator. The method comprises (a) providing a synthetic jet actuator assembly comprising a coil, driver electronics, and a surround; and (b) completing an electrical circuit between the coil and the driver electronics by depositing a conductive ink across the surround.
In another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a coil, driver electronics, and a surround; and (b) a conductive ink which extends across the surround and which forms an electrical circuit between the coil and the driver electronics.
In a further aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a diaphragm equipped with a surround; (b) a voice coil having first and second terminal portions; (c) a pot structure having first and second portions which are electrically isolated from each other; (d) a first portion of tinsel having a first end which is in electrical communication with said first terminal portion of said voice coil, and a second end which is in electrical communication with said first portion of said pot structure; and (e) a second portion of tinsel having a first end which is in electrical communication with said second terminal portion of said voice coil, and a second end which is in electrical communication with said second portion of said pot structure.
In still another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a diaphragm equipped with a surround; (b) a voice coil having first and second terminal portions; (c) a pot structure having first and second passageways defined therein; (d) a first portion of tinsel which extends through said first passage way and which is in electrical communication with said first terminal portion of said voice coil; and (e) a second portion of tinsel which extends through said second passage way and which is in electrical communication with said second terminal portion of said voice coil.
In another aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a diaphragm equipped with a surround; (b) a voice coil having first and second terminal portions; (c) a pot structure having first and second passageways defined therein; (d) a first conductive element which extends through said first passage way and which is in electrical communication with said first terminal portion of said voice coil; and (e) a second portion of tinsel which extends through said second passage way and which is in electrical communication with said second terminal portion of said voice coil.
In a further aspect, a synthetic jet actuator is provided which comprises (a) a diaphragm equipped with a surround; and (b) a plurality of electrically conductive elements integrated with said surround.
In still another aspect, a method is provided for calibrating a synthetic jet actuator is provided. The method comprises (a) providing a synthetic jet actuator which is equipped with a diaphragm and disposed within a housing, wherein the housing has an aperture therein; (b) providing a measuring device which measures the displacement of a diaphragm in a synthetic jet actuator, the device including a first portion which releasably engages the aperture and a second portion which includes an optic reflectance sensor and which extends through the aperture so that, when the first portion releasably engages the aperture, the reflectance sensor is properly positioned with respect to the diaphragm to sense reflections from the diaphragm; (c) releasably engaging the aperture with the first portion; (d) measuring the displacement of the diaphragm with the measuring device; and (e) using the measured displacement to calibrate the synthetic jet actuator.
The devices and methodologies disclosed herein utilize synthetic jet actuators or synthetic jet ejectors. Prior to describing these devices and methodologies, a brief explanation of a typical synthetic jet ejector, and the manner in which it operates to create a synthetic jet, may be useful.
The formation of a synthetic jet may be appreciated with respect to
The movement of the flexible diaphragm 111 may be controlled by any suitable control system 117. For example, the diaphragm may be moved by a voice coil actuator. The diaphragm 111 may also be equipped with a metal layer, and a metal electrode may be disposed adjacent to, but spaced from, the metal layer so that the diaphragm 111 can be moved via an electrical bias imposed between the electrode and the metal layer. Moreover, the generation of the electrical bias can be controlled by any suitable device, for example but not limited to, a computer, logic processor, or signal generator. The control system 117 can cause the diaphragm 111 to move periodically or to modulate in time-harmonic motion, thus forcing fluid in and out of the orifice 113.
Alternatively, a piezoelectric actuator could be attached to the diaphragm 111. The control system would, in that case, cause the piezoelectric actuator to vibrate and thereby move the diaphragm 111 in time-harmonic motion. The method of causing the diaphragm 111 to modulate is not particularly limited to any particular means or structure.
The operation of the synthetic jet ejector 101 will now be described with reference to
Many of the synthetic jet actuators developed thus far utilize a voice coil, and hence are movable coil type linear motors. Such motors move directly on a straight line, and thus have high operational speeds and allow precise control over positioning.
In movable coil type linear motors, a movable unit performs linear motion due to thrust generated between a coil unit and one or more permanent magnets. According to the number and position of the permanent magnets, the movable coil type linear motor is classified as a one-sided linear motor or a two-sided linear motor. That is, the movable coil type linear motor is classified into the one-sided linear motor and two-sided linear motor according to whether the permanent magnets which are stators are installed at one side or both sides of the coil unit.
Referring to
When a control device (not shown) applies current to the coil unit 6, the current is transferred to a coil of the coil unit 6, and magnetic field and thrust are generated between the permanent magnets 4 and the coil unit 6 installed inside the stator back iron 3, thereby moving the movable unit 2 in the front/rear direction. Here, the control device (not shown) controls a movement speed of the movable unit 2 and thrust by the movement according to a winding number of the coil and the supply current.
While synthetic jet ejectors have many advantages, at present, their wide scale commercial use is hindered by the cost of manufacturing these devices, and in particular, by the parts and tooling requirements necessitated by existing synthetic jet ejector designs. Moreover, given the continually shrinking sizes of the devices that serve as hosts to synthetic jet ejectors (and the thermal management systems incorporating them), there is a need in the art for a means by which the dimensions of synthetic jet actuators and synthetic jet ejectors can be reduced. In addition, further improvements are desirable with respect to the expected lifetimes of these devices.
At least some of the foregoing issues are attributable to the bond requirements between the inner perimeter of the diaphragm and the other components of the actuator (e.g., the bobbin), and/or the bond requirements between the outer perimeter of the diaphragm and the other components of the actuator (e.g., the heat sink and/or housing). Frequently, the bond between these components is a silicone-plastic or silicone-metal bond. In addition to the dissimilarity between the materials of these components, the bond interfaces at these locations are subject to considerable stress and represent a common point of failure. This is especially so since the diaphragm is one of the few moving components of these devices.
It has been found that the ease of assembly for a device incorporating a synthetic jet ejector or synthetic jet actuator may be enhanced, and the cost of such a device may be reduced, by providing such a device with a means for readily incorporating it into a host device. This may be achieved, for example, by providing a synthetic jet actuator which may be attached to a substrate, such as, for example, a PCI board, through a press-on attachment. Such a design avoids the need for a gluing process, which is the typical means currently used to incorporate a synthetic jet ejector or synthetic jet actuator into a host device. A similar end may be achieved by providing a synthetic jet actuator equipped with a first mating element, and a housing equipped with a second mating element, wherein the first and second mating elements rotatingly engage each other, and wherein at least one of the first and second mating elements is a threaded surface.
One way to do this is with a press on attachment system. First, the synthetic jet ejector is attached to the board with pins which help position it relative to the sink. Then an adhesive is applied to prevent further motion.
The synthetic jet ejector housing has two bosses with cylindrical holes under the front nozzles, one of which has a chamfer under the hole (
Many of the synthetic jet actuators developed thus far utilize a voice coil, and hence are movable coil type linear motors. Such motors move directly on a straight line, and thus have high operational speeds and allow precise control over positioning.
In movable coil type linear motors, a movable unit performs linear motion due to thrust generated between a coil unit and one or more permanent magnets. According to the number and position of the permanent magnets, the movable coil type linear motor is classified as a one-sided linear motor or a two-sided linear motor. That is, the movable coil type linear motor is classified into the one-sided linear motor and two-sided linear motor according to whether the permanent magnets which are stators are installed at one side or both sides of the coil unit.
Referring to
When a control device (not shown) applies current to the coil unit 6, the current is transferred to a coil of the coil unit 6, and magnetic field and thrust are generated between the permanent magnets 4 and the coil unit 6 installed inside the stator back iron 3, thereby moving the movable unit 2 in the front/rear direction. Here, the control device (not shown) controls a movement speed of the movable unit 2 and thrust by the movement according to a winding number of the coil and the supply current.
While synthetic jet ejectors have many advantages, at present, their wide scale commercial use is hindered by the cost of manufacturing these devices, and in particular, by the parts and tooling requirements necessitated by existing synthetic jet ejector designs. Moreover, given the continually shrinking sizes of the devices that serve as hosts to synthetic jet ejectors (and the thermal management systems incorporating them), there is a need in the art for a means by which the dimensions of synthetic jet actuators and synthetic jet ejectors can be reduced. In addition, further improvements are desirable with respect to the expected lifetimes of these devices.
It has been found that some of the foregoing infirmities may be addressed by designing the synthetic jet actuator such that the back iron of the synthetic jet actuator is attached to, or incorporated into, the heat sink of a thermal management device incorporating a synthetic jet ejector. Such a configuration allows for the size of the host device to be minimized.
It has further been found that some of the foregoing infirmities may be addressed by replacing the threaded standoff typically used to join a heat sink and a portion of the housing (such as the housing lid) with a housing portion that is molded in situ onto a surface of the heat sink. As a result, these elements are joined during the molding process, thus eliminating the need for the threaded standoff commonly used, or for other fasteners or screws used to affix the housing portion to the heat sink. This approach also avoids the extra assembly steps inherent in the use of such fasteners, screws or threaded standoffs.
It has also been found that some of the foregoing infirmities may be addressed by eliminating unnecessary components of thermally managed devices. For example, in an LED light source equipped with a heat sink (which may be cooled by a synthetic jet ejector), the conductive carrier disposed between the LED and the heat sink may be eliminated. Since each thermal interface adds resistance to the heat removal path, the resulting device may offer less resistance to heat flow and may improve thermal spreading. Moreover, since the light output, reliability and spectral quality of LEDs and lasers are influenced by the temperature of the LED and are typically adversely affected when the device is heated to higher temperatures, this approach may improve these characteristics.
It has further been found that the ease of assembly for a device incorporating a synthetic jet ejector or synthetic jet actuator may be enhanced, and the cost of such a device may be reduced, by providing such a device with a means for readily incorporating it into a host device. This may be achieved, for example, by providing a surface of the synthetic jet ejector or synthetic jet actuator with a threaded surface which can rotatingly engage a suitable (and preferably complimentary) surface in the host device. Such a design also avoids the need for a gluing process, which is the typical means currently used to incorporate a synthetic jet ejector or synthetic jet actuator into a host device.
Many of the synthetic jet actuators developed thus far utilize a voice coil, and hence are movable coil type linear motors. Such motors move directly on a straight line, and thus have high operational speeds and allow precise control over positioning.
In movable coil type linear motors, a movable unit performs linear motion due to thrust generated between a coil unit and one or more permanent magnets. According to the number and position of the permanent magnets, the movable coil type linear motor is classified as a one-sided linear motor or a two-sided linear motor. That is, the movable coil type linear motor is classified into the one-sided linear motor and two-sided linear motor according to whether the permanent magnets which are stators are installed at one side or both sides of the coil unit.
Referring to
When a control device (not shown) applies current to the coil unit 6, the current is transferred to a coil of the coil unit 6, and magnetic field and thrust are generated between the permanent magnets 4 and the coil unit 6 installed inside the stator back iron 3, thereby moving the movable unit 2 in the front/rear direction. Here, the control device (not shown) controls a movement speed of the movable unit 2 and thrust by the movement according to a winding number of the coil and the supply current.
While synthetic jet ejectors have many advantages, at present, their wide scale commercial use is hindered by the cost of manufacturing these devices, and in particular, by the parts and tooling requirements necessitated by existing synthetic jet ejector designs. Moreover, given the continually shrinking sizes of the devices that serve as hosts to synthetic jet ejectors (and the thermal management systems incorporating them), there is a need in the art for a means by which the dimensions of synthetic jet actuators and synthetic jet ejectors can be reduced. In addition, further improvements are desirable with respect to the expected lifetimes of these devices.
At least some of the foregoing issues are attributable to the bond requirements between the inner perimeter of the diaphragm and the other components of the actuator (e.g., the bobbin), and/or the bond requirements between the outer perimeter of the diaphragm and the other components of the actuator (e.g., the heat sink and/or housing). Frequently, the bond between these components is a silicone-plastic or silicone-metal bond. In addition to the dissimilarity between the materials of these components, the bond interfaces at these locations are subject to considerable stress and represent a common point of failure. This is especially so since the diaphragm is one of the few moving components of these devices.
It has now been found that some of the foregoing infirmities may be addressed by designing the synthetic jet actuator such that one or both of the inner and outer perimeters of the diaphragm are physically clamped in place. Such a configuration avoids the need for an adhesive bond in one or both of these areas, especially in embodiments in which one or both of these areas of the diaphragm are equipped with one or more protrusions (such as one or more annular ridges) that may be engaged by a housing element, a voice coil, a clamp, a ring, or another suitable member.
The two coils may be powered separately, so that when one coil is not in the center of the B field no energy is wasted powering it. Also, the amplitude and phase of each coil may be controlled separately, such that the overall motor force could be made more constant over the actuator's stroke, or such that peak BL force occurs at the top or bottom of the stroke.
As an additional side effect, the center seal can act as a secondary suspension (known as a “spider” in the speaker industry) to assist in controlling the movement of the actuator. This spider may reduce or inhibit rocking of the actuator.
The devices and methodologies described above represent notable improvements in synthetic jet technology. However, a number of problems still exist in the art. In particular, many synthetic jet ejectors require the use of tinsel wires or flexible circuit connections between the coil terminals of a moving synthetic jet actuator. These types of connections are prone to breaking or wear, present manufacturing difficulties, and also create surfaces that other components may become caught on or entangled with.
It has now been found that some of the foregoing problems may be overcome through embodiments described herein which avoid the need for tinsel wires or a flexible circuit connection between the coil terminals of a moving coil actuator. This may be accomplished, for example, by utilizing Polymer Thick Film (PTF) conductive inks that may be printed on three-dimensional surfaces using inkjet deposition technologies.
It has further been found that some of the foregoing problems may be overcome by soldering the tinsel leads coming from the diaphragm to the pot magnet structure. The pot magnet structure is preferably in two semicircular halves that do not have electrical contact with each other, thus eliminating contact with the surround.
It has also been found that some of the foregoing problems may be overcome by routing tinsel leads coming from the diaphragm through via holes in the pot structure or frame before reaching the diametric location of the surround, or by using other tinsel routing methodologies as described herein.
Various printable conductive inks may be utilized to form the printed interconnect 209. Preferably, the printable conductive ink is a polymer thick film (PTF) based ink, though conductive inks based on fired high solids compositions or nanoparticles may also be utilized. These inks allow circuits to be drawn or printed on a variety of substrate materials, including polyester or paper, and may contain conductive ingredients or fillers such as powdered or flaked silver, carbon or graphite. These inks may be deposited using inkjet material deposition techniques, which may utilize a print head equipped with piezoelectric crystals.
By utilizing terminal pins 207 inserted into the plastic bobbin 203 and actuator basket 205, the PTF conductive ink 209 can be printed in a trace or plane shape that extends across the roll of the surround 211 and connects the voice coil 213 to the driver board electronics 215. This conductive ink 209 may be bonded to the surround 211 of the actuator 201, thus ensuring that the electrical connection travels in unison with the surround 211 and cannot contact any other parts to cause acoustic artifacts.
The surround 211 can be shaped to minimize bending in any region and to provide high reliability in a dynamic flex environment. Since the surface where the printing of the conductive ink 209 is deposited is on the outside of the synthetic jet actuator 201, this step may be performed after the complete synthetic jet actuator assembly is assembled and (if applicable) ultrasonically welded together. This method is also compatible with automated assembly techniques, since it does not require a tinsel wire or flexible circuit to be carefully woven through the support structure of the synthetic jet actuator.
First and second portions of tinsel 319 are arranged such that one end of each portion of tinsel 319 is attached to one of the semicircular halves of the pot 315 by way of a solder joint 321, and the other end of each portion of tinsel 319 is attached to a lead on the coil 307. Positive and negative electrical leads 323 are attached to one of the semicircular halves of the pot 315 by way of a solder joint 321. This arrangement eliminates any contact between the tinsel 319 and the surround 305.
The passageways 425 are preferably large enough to provide clearance so that the tinsel 419 or wires do not come into contact with the moving parts of the synthetic jet actuator 401. Also, it is preferable that the travel path of the diaphragm 403 be uniform (normal to the voice coil 407). This wire routing method will help improve reliability as well as acoustics due to tinsel noise. As with the previous embodiment, this arrangement may be used to eliminate any contact between the tinsel 419 and the surround 405.
In a preferred embodiment of this approach, the carbon nanotube coating 719 on the actuator diaphragm 703 is a thin, preferably elastomeric layer that connects the center of the actuator 701 to the edge of the basket 715 along the surface of the diaphragm 703. This provides an electrical connection between the voice coil 707 and a power source, without interfering with the internal geometry or volume of the synthetic jet actuator 701. By contrast, the corresponding conventional synthetic jet actuator 702 depicted in
It will be appreciated that the synthetic jet actuator 801 of
The diaphragm 903 and surround material 905 are coated (e.g., through vapor deposition, sputtering, plating, or otherwise depositing metal or other conductive materials) with a patterned conductive structure to provide a current path to and from the wires of the voice coil 907. Preferably, electrical connections are made to the metallic coating through the use of a suitable adhesive, by soldering, or the like. The metal coating may be implemented in various shapes and patterns as necessary to achieve the desired electrical and mechanical properties and a suitable lifetime. The electrical contact may be made by pressing, press fitting, crimping, clamping, or through the use of other suitable means.
In a preferred embodiment, an insulating diaphragm 903 is utilized which is coated on one, and preferably on both, sides to provide a current path to and from the voice coil 907. The connection may be made by crimping the top and bottom of the diaphragm 903 to the voice coil former 909. In some embodiments, the entire diaphragm 903 may be made of a material that can be doped, irradiated or otherwise treated so as to change its properties from conductive to non-conductive (or from non-conductive to conductive) to provide two distinct current paths to the voice coil 907.
The foregoing methods may also be combined with other methods, such as the use of tinsel wires, to achieve desired electrical and mechanical properties and a suitable lifetime. Moreover, to aid in current routing, the voice coil 907 may be coated or patterned using methodologies such as those described above.
It is typically necessary to connect the moving voice coil of a synthetic jet actuator to a fixed point for external electrical power to drive the coil. The wires used for this connection are specially designed for long flexure life. The synthetic jet actuator 1001 of
The diaphragm 1005, which is driven by the motion of the voice coil 1003, often is made with reinforcing ribs or rings molded into it to give more uniform motion, to prevent buckling, and to add strength. By molding the rings as spirals from the coil connection points near the center to the outer rim of the diaphragm 1005, the strength benefits can be obtained. Moreover, by routing the tinsel 1007 along the spirals (e.g., next to the ridge of the spirals or between these ridges), the tinsel 1007 is flexed only a very small amount, and uniformly along the entire path from the voice coil 1003 to the fixed termination point. Hence, instead of having the end-to-end displacement of the tinsel 1007 occur over approximately one radial length, it can occur over 2πx the radial length or longer if the spiral makes several revolutions between the center and the outer perimeter of the diaphragm 1005.
Several variations are possible with the foregoing embodiment. Typically, at least two tinsels will be required to connect the voice coil to an external power source. In some embodiments, a single spiral may be provided in the diaphragm with both tinsels run adjacent to each other, and with the tinsels electrically insulated from each other. In other embodiments, a separate spiral may be provided for each tinsel. The tinsel may be disposed on the top or bottom surface of the diaphragm, or both. One or more tabs may be provided on the rim of the diaphragm to make electrical connections to the tinsel.
In some embodiments of the devices and methodologies described herein, the voice coils utilized may be powered through electrical induction. In accordance with such methods, electrical power is delivered to the voice coil without tinsels (e.g., wirelessly) by using an electric inductance effect. An external coil is used to emit the AC magnetic field, which in turn is picked up by the voice coil or a secondary pick up coil to power the voice coil.
While thermal management systems which utilize synthetic jets to enhance cooling have many desirable properties, further improvements in these devices are required to meet evolving challenges in the art.
For example, at present, many synthetic jet actuators require a separate calibration step before the actuator is installed inside the housing of a thermal management device. Since calibration requires the use of displacement sensors to detect the motion of the actuators and adjust the control values to meet a target displacement amplitude, at present, calibration typically occurs when the actuator is outside of the housing so that inexpensive sensors can be used and so that aiming of these sensors is simplified.
However, it has now been found that, by utilizing Ther optic reflectance sensors such as those produced by Phiftec (www.philtec.com), these displacement measurements can be made while the actuator/engine is inside the housing by providing a small hole in the housing situated over the target region of the actuator (see
After calibration, the sensor is removed, and the hole can be sealed by means of a membrane with pressure sensitive backing, a screw, plastic plug, caulk/gap filler, or deformation of a plastic feature on the housing (heat staking) The benefits of this approach are reduced assembly/handling time, improved calibration accuracy, and higher confidence in device operation after final assembly.
1) Size/form factor
2) Cost
3) Power factor
A single IC can address these 3 factors in a SynJet cooled LED lighting application.
To minimize the need for large charge storage capacitors and achieve maximum power factor, both the synthetic jet ejector and the LED array will be driven with a waveform that has a sinusoidal current at the same frequency as the AC line input (50 or 60 Hz). Synchronization with the line power frequency can be achieved with a zero crossing detector.
The block diagram of
The LED array may be powered from a non-isolated buck regulator that is controlled by the ASIC. The ASIC would monitor the current through the LED array and use this measurement to maintain a constant current regulation through the LEDs. The forward voltage developed across the LED array would not be well regulated due to variations in LED characteristics, but would provide a lower voltage intermediate node that could be provided to an H-Bridge driver. This HBridge driver would drive the actuators in the synthetic jet ejector cooler and would also be controlled from the ASIC.
Monitoring the forward voltage of the LEDs could also potentially be used as a means of inferring their temperature and this information could be used to scale back the synthetic jet ejector cooling and improve acoustics when cooling is not needed, Because the controller is regulating the measured current through the LED array, no flicker in the light output wilt result from the HBridge tapping current from the buck supply. This system may be utilized to produce a low cost, low part count implementation of a LED controller and synthetic jet ejector driver that leverages feature advantages that can only be achieved when the IC has control over the entire system.
With reference to
The foregoing circuit has the following advantages:
In a preferred embodiment depicted, a single conductive aluminum disk has been attached to the moving diaphragm, and a two piece conductive aluminum disk (half moons) has been attached to the underside of a cover placed above the diaphragm. As the diaphragm moves, the capacitance as measured between terminals on the half moon changes creating a measurable position signal.
It is to be noted that, based on the small values of capacitance and the change, this is likely to require the following:
(a) a very high Z input buffer amplifier; or
(b) the use of a 1-10 MHz signal and filter; or
(c) possibly as oscillator with this C as the frequency tuning, plus a counter or other suitable circuit to measure small C and delta C.
The primary drive signal is a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal that is generated by the system controller or microprocessor. For multiple targets, addition PWM or similar control signals must be generated by the same or multiple controllers/microprocessors.
The IR sensor is mounted in the Syn Jet housing so as to be aimed at the target area to be controlled. The output signal from the IR sensor is connected to the drive electronics so it can measure the signal amplitude (voltage, current or frequency depending on the specific type of sensor used). The controller makes periodic measurements of the IR senor signal amplitude then per the on board software control algorithm, adjusts the output drive signal to affect an increase or decrease in cooling so as to maintain a temperature equal to or below a required temperature limit that assures proper operation of the target device.
The sensor mounting can be a “molded in” design or a “stick on” up-grade, The sensor cam be in a hard fixed position mount or in a mount that permits “aiming” it at the target.
With reference to
(a) a “stick on” sensor that is connected to external Fan control circuit able to measure IR sensor.
(b) a side mounted sensor that is connected to the fans built in control circuit, or external control circuit.
(c) a combination “stick on” or “mold in” fan control circuit with integral IR temperature sensor.
(d) a sensor in a pivotable or flexible aimable “stick on” mount.
The foregoing approach has several advantages. These include:
(a) There is no need to install thermocouples or other temperature sensors on the target device and connect them to the control circuit.
(b) Small size and low cost
(c) Can be easily added as a stand-alone up-grade, just provide appropriate power connection.
By integrating the monitoring and I or target power switching functions into the synthetic jet controller, the benefits of the synthetic jet solution are greater, the overall cost is lower and the target device is fully protected by ‘fail safe operation’ should a failure occur in the synthetic jet ejector or target device occur.
In the typical power vs frequency curve (see the black trace in
A method is provided herein for finding and tracking the resonant frequency so that as temperature and operating conditions change, the system can always be operated at the resonant frequency. The method relies upon the rapid change of input impedance phase that occurs at the resonant frequency. The plot in
1. Set a register equal to zero.
2. Find the time at which the input voltage crosses through zero volts, call this tv.
3. Find the time at which the input current crosses through zero amps, call this ti.
4. If tv<ti then the phase is negative otherwise the phase is positive.
5. Increment the register if the phase is positive otherwise decrement the register.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 6 a large number of times (typically a few hundred).
7. If the register is positive, the phase is positive, the system is operating below resonance.
so the drive frequency is increased.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 continuously to find and track resonance.
It is important as resonance is tracked to make appropriate adjustments to the back-emf target which the displacement control-loop is using to maintain displacement.
The target is proportional to frequency, so the target must be increased or decreased as the frequency is varied.
It is also important to implement voltage, current and power limiting. The power amplifier driving the cooler must not be operated beyond its limits. If this occurs, displacement control will be lost, and/or the amplifier and/or cooler may be damaged. Limiting can be implemented in the control software by reducing the drive voltage when limit conditions are detected. This will typically happen at lower temperatures (when the cooler resonance is higher in frequency, and when the actuator suspension is stiffer/more lossy.
It has also been found that the use of a piezoelectric film co-molded or integral to the suspension or diaphragm of an actuator or transducer may allow active feedback and suspension and/or motion control of a device.
With reference to
By detecting the Max Down position, the diaphragm can be controlled to prevent “bottoming out” with related acoustic & mechanical loss of performance. This inventions allows repeatable measurement of an individual actuator's Max Down position, and is generally applicable to compensate for production variations, temperature and ageing effects while allowing full range of motion for best cooling. The emitter/aperture assembly may be separate or integrated into the housing, similarly for the detector assembly.
Although the detector will work with the emitter and detector mounted in various positions, by mounting them on the periphery of the housing and in an upper corner, they will not be a constraint on the diaphragm motion nor the maximum thickness of the overall actuator/housing assembly. They are in an area above the surround, and its motion does not encroach.
This sensor includes extensions to include multiple emitters and detector assemblies to detect other desired positions, such as Neutral or Max Up. The assemblies may be mounted at 90 degrees from each other (in the case of two assemblies), one could measure Max Down, and the Max Up. Also, one emitter could, with signal conditioning, work with two detectors, as a simple extension of this concept. Rate of change of the detected signal can give velocity information, and with two detectors an average velocity can be measured.
The reflective single spot or stripe in the center of the diaphragm is described above. This approach can be extended to other configurations. The reflective material can be applied in multiple stripes or other configurations to give diaphragm position feedback information.
Applying single or multiple emitter/detector assemblies also gives additional signals for determination and compensation for changes in diaphragm/surround spring constant and B-field variations.
The above description of the present invention is illustrative, and is not intended to be limiting. It will thus be appreciated that various additions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be construed in reference to the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/486,955 (Williams et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Press-On Heat Sink Mount for Synthetic Jet Ejectors”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/486,913 (Poynot et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Systems and Methodologies for Integrating Components in Synthetic Jet Ejectors”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/486,874 (Poynot et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Systems and Methodologies for Mechanically Securing a Diaphragm Within a Synthetic Jet Ejector”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/487,278 (Williams et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Engine Concepts”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/487,277 (Mahalingam et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Power Delivery to Diaphragms”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/487,260 (Ernst et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Drive and Control Electronics”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/487,179 (Mahalingam et al.), filed May 17, 2011, and entitled “Systems and Methodologies for Preventing Dust and Particle Contamination of Synthetic Jet Ejectors”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61486955 | May 2011 | US | |
61486913 | May 2011 | US | |
61486874 | May 2011 | US | |
61487278 | May 2011 | US | |
61487277 | May 2011 | US | |
61487260 | May 2011 | US | |
61487179 | May 2011 | US |