Heat pipe system having common vapor rail

Abstract

A heat pipe has a plurality of conduits. Each conduit has an evaporator section extending laterally from a first open end of the conduit, a condenser section extending laterally from a second open end of the conduit, and a liquid return section connected to the evaporator section at a position away from the first open end and connected to the condenser section at a position away from the second open end. The liquid return section of at least one conduit is distinct from the liquid return section of another of the conduits. A common vapor manifold extends between the first and second open ends of each of said plurality of conduits so vapors produced in the evaporator sections can flow from the first open ends through the common vapor manifold to the second open ends without flowing through the conduits.

1 . A heat pipe comprising:
 a plurality of conduits, each conduit including an evaporator section extending laterally from a first open end of the respective conduit, a condenser section extending laterally from a second open end of the respective conduit, and a liquid return section, the liquid return section for each conduit being connected to the evaporator section at a position away from the first open end and connected to the condenser section at a position away from the second open end so the evaporator and condenser section are in fluid communication with one another through the liquid return section for flow of liquid condensed in the condenser section to the evaporator section, the liquid return section of at least one conduit being distinct from the liquid return section of another of the conduits; and   a common vapor manifold in fluid communication with and extending between the first and second open ends of each of said plurality of conduits so vapors produced in the evaporator sections can flow from the first open ends through the common vapor manifold to the second open ends without flowing through the conduits.   
     
     
         2 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the vapor manifold comprises first and second legs, the first open ends of said plurality of conduits opening into the first leg and the second open ends of said plurality of conduits opening into the second leg, the manifold further comprising a vapor passage connecting the first and second legs to one another for flow of vapors evaporated in the evaporator sections to the condenser sections through the common vapor manifold. 
     
     
         3 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said plurality of conduits are arranged so they are spaced apart vertically from one another, the first leg of the common vapor manifold extends to a position that is higher in elevation than the highest of the first open ends, and the second leg of the common vapor manifold extends to a position that is higher in elevation than the highest of the second open ends. 
     
     
         4 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the vapor passage connects to the first leg of the common vapor manifold at an elevation above the highest of the first open ends and the vapor passage connects to the second leg at an elevation above the highest of the second open ends. 
     
     
         5 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of conduits are arranged so they are spaced apart vertically from one another and the common vapor manifold has an inverted U-Shape. 
     
     
         6 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the evaporator sections have a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         7 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the condenser sections are inclined downward from the second open ends. 
     
     
         8 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of conduits are made of tubing no larger in diameter than ½ inch tubing. 
     
     
         9 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the length of each of said plurality of conduits is in the range of about 100 to about 250 inches. 
     
     
         10 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the length of each of said plurality of conduits is in the range of about 100 to about 250 inches. 
     
     
         11 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the second end of each of said plurality of conduits is at an elevation that is higher than an elevation of the first end of the respective conduit. 
     
     
         12 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the conduits are U-Shaped and the evaporator sections have a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         13 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the conduits are substantially straight. 
     
     
         14 . A heat pipe system comprising a frame and a plurality of heat pipes as set forth in  claim 13  supported by the frame, the heat pipes being arranged relative to one another so the evaporator sections of the heat pipe conduits are positioned to form an array of evaporator sections on a first side of the frame and the condenser sections of the heat pipe conduits are positioned to form an array of condenser sections on a second side of the frame opposite the first side of the frame. 
     
     
         15 . A heat pipe system as set forth in  claim 14  further comprising a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the heat pipe conduits, the fins including a first set of fins in the array of evaporator sections and a second set of fins in the array of condenser sections, the first and second sets of fins being spaced from one another. 
     
     
         16 . A heat pipe system as set forth in  claim 14  installed in a duct system of an HVAC system, wherein the array of evaporator sections is in a first duct of the duct system and the array of condenser sections is in a second duct of the duct system, one of the first and second ducts leading to an inlet of the HVAC system and the other of the first and second ducts extending from an outlet of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         17 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising fins connected to the conduits in the evaporator section to facilitate heat transfer and fins connected to the conduit in the condenser section to facilitate heat transfer, the liquid return section and common vapor manifold being free of fins. 
     
     
         18 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a working fluid contained in the conduits and common vapor manifold. 
     
     
         19 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 19  wherein the heat pipe contains no more than a 35% charge of the working fluid. 
     
     
         20 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  in combination with a cooling coil, the evaporator sections of the conduits being disposed in the path of air flowing into the cooling coil and the condenser sections of the conduits being disposed in the path of air downstream of the cooling coil. 
     
     
         21 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  in combination with another substantially identical heat pipe nested within the heat pipe. 
     
     
         22 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the common vapor manifold has a U-shaped configuration and at least a portion of the common vapor manifold is on the same side of the heat pipe as at least one of the liquid return sections of the conduits. 
     
     
         23 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the evaporator sections and condenser sections are configured so they are doubled back on themselves. 
     
     
         24 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the common vapor manifold has an inverted U-shape and is on the same side of the heat pipe as the liquid return sections of the conduits. 
     
     
         25 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the conduits have a horizontal U-shaped configuration and the common vapor manifold has an evaporator leg adjacent and connected to the evaporator sections, a condenser leg adjacent and connected to the condenser sections, and a vapor passage extending between the evaporator leg and condenser leg, the evaporator leg being positioned inside a portion of the evaporator sections of the conduits and the condenser leg being positioned outside a portion of the condenser sections. 
     
     
         26 . A heat pipe as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a valve moveable between first and second operating positions, the valve producing relatively less resistance to flow of vapor through the common vapor manifold in the first position and relatively more resistance to flow of vapor through the common vapor manifold in the second position.