Heat pipes utilizing load bearing wicks

Abstract

This invention enables mechanical design of flexible and elastic heat pipes. It provides structural solution that reduces weight/performance ratio for traditional heat pipes and prevents freeze damages.

1 . A capillary device formed by a set of braided or plaited threads, wherein said braiding or plaiting forms plurality of intrinsic channels with preferred direction coincident with preferred direction of said braiding, and the term thread represents a material in shape of wire, fiber, tow, yarns or alike, and average cross section area of said plurality exceeds the area of average opening between said threads in direction normal to said preferred direction, and said plurality contains at least one channel, and said structural, and a said device retain its geometrical constraints under either external or internal pressure, or under both internal and external pressure.  
   
   
       2 . A heat pipe device having a capillary structure commonly known as a wick, wherein the wick forms a spatial structure that provides both capillary properties and interconnected gas permeable voids, wherein said structure retains said properties under either external or internal pressure, or under both internal and external pressure.  
   
   
       3 . A heat pipe device having a capillary structure commonly known as a wick, wherein said wick structure utilizes capillary devices of  claim 1 , and said device form spatial ordered pattern and spatial orientations of said preferred directions form limited number of well defined clusters.  
   
   
       4 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is formed by braided fibers or yarns.  
   
   
       5 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is formed by plurality of fabric sheets or by three dimensional woven or braided or knitted fabric structure.  
   
   
       6 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein the outer shell construction utilizes a plurality of not smooth foil or sheets of thin material with thickness of less then 1 mm each, and said plurality contains at least one element.  
   
   
       7 . A device of  claim 6 , wherein said shell is attached to said wick.  
   
   
       8 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is made of polymer material.  
   
   
       9 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is made of metal or alloy.  
   
   
       10 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is made of inorganic fiber.  
   
   
       11 . A device of  claim 2 , wherein said wick is made of carbon of graphite fiber.  
   
   
       12 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein said threads are made of polymer material.  
   
   
       13 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein said threads are made of metal or alloy.  
   
   
       14 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein said threads are made of inorganic fiber.  
   
   
       15 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein said threads are made of carbon of graphite fiber.