Vapor Augmented Heatsink with Multi-Wick Structure

Abstract

A heat transfer device includes a base chamber, a fin chamber, and at least one fin. The chambers can be thermally coupled. The heat transfer device also includes a wick structure. The wick structure can include a multi-wick structure. The multi-wick structure can include a three-dimensional wick structure and/or a spatially varying wick structure.

1 . A heat transfer device, comprising:
 at least one chamber containing a condensable fluid, the chamber including: an evaporation region configured to be coupled to a heat source for vaporizing the condensable fluid, and a condensation region comprising condensation surfaces configured to permit the vaporized condensable fluid to collect as condensate, wherein the at least one chamber is configured to cause the condensate to flow through increasingly less area in the vicinity of the evaporation region, giving rise to a converging flow condition as the condensate approaches the evaporation region; and   a multi-wick structure comprising a plurality of hydraulically interconnected wick structures extending from the evaporation region into the condensation region for facilitating flow of the condensate toward the evaporation region, wherein a wicking power of the multi-wick structure increases with decreasing flow distance to the evaporation region to facilitate an increased flow rate of the condensate as the condensate approaches the evaporation region, and wherein the multi-wick structure includes at least one wick structure bridge interconnecting portions of the multi-wick structure to facilitate flow of the condensate between the portions of the multi-wick structure.