Explosion welded evaporator for use in two-phase heat transfer apparatuses

Abstract

A two-phase heat transfer apparatus for cooling electronics through an evaporation/condensation cycle, and an evaporator of a heat transfer apparatus are provided. The evaporator or apparatus includes multiple materials to leverage multiple beneficial material properties. A transition between the multiple materials is provided by use of explosion welding. A fluid-containing interior cavity is formed in the evaporator or apparatus such that cavity sidewalls include the transition, which is hermetically sealed due to the explosion weld. The use of multiple materials may be leveraged to incorporate features including a view glass or feed-through connector into the apparatus for viewing the working fluid or incorporating electrical components inside of the hermetic enclosure. In one embodiment, the apparatus base can be made of copper and the condenser can be made out of aluminum containing aluminum tubes, such as multiport tubes.

1 . A two-phase heat transfer apparatus comprising:
 an evaporator comprising a heat input portion for transferring heat from an exterior of the evaporator to a working fluid located in an interior of the evaporator thereby phase changing at least a portion of the working fluid into working fluid vapour; and   a condenser comprising a heat output portion for transferring heat from the working fluid vapour located in an interior of the condenser, thereby phase changing the working fluid vapour into working fluid,   wherein the interior of the evaporator and the interior of the condenser are in fluidic communication with each other and form at least part of a hermetically sealed interior of the two-phase heat transfer apparatus; and   wherein the apparatus comprises an explosion welded portion, the explosion welded portion including a first material explosion welded to a second material, the explosion welded portion forming part of a boundary defining the hermetically sealed interior.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one additional explosion welded portion, each of the at least one additional explosion welded portion including two different materials explosion welded together and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetically sealed interior. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the explosion welded portion is integral with the heat input portion of the evaporator. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first material of the explosion welded portion is hermetically bonded, via a bond other than an explosion weld, to a bonding site of the evaporator, the bonding site integral with the heat input portion, the first material and a material at the bonding site being materials amenable to said hermetic bonding. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the explosion welded portion forms an integral part of an adaptor hermetically bonded to the bonding site of the evaporator, the adaptor further hermetically bonded to another component of the apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the adapter further comprises an additional explosion welded portion including two different materials explosion welded together and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetically sealed interior. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a lower part of the evaporator is formed of the first material, the first material being copper or silver, and wherein the explosion welded portion facilitates a transition from the first material to the second material. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an upper part of the evaporator is formed of the second material, the second material being stainless steel, Fernico, aluminum or brass, and wherein the explosion welded portion facilitates a transition from the second material to the first material. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the explosion welded portion further includes at least one transition layer of a third material explosion welded between the first material and the second material. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a sight glass hermetically bonded to a metallic frame and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetically sealed interior. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the metallic frame is hermetically bonded to a predetermined part of the evaporator via a bond other than an explosion weld, said predetermined part of the evaporator being a material amenable to said hermetic bonding, and wherein said predetermined part of the evaporator is integral with the explosion welded portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said predetermined part of the evaporator is integral with the heat input portion, or coupled to the heat input portion via one or more explosion welds, or coupled to the heat input portion via one or more hermetic bonds other than explosion welds, or coupled to the heat input portion via a combination of explosion welds and hermetic bonds other than explosion welds. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the metallic frame and the predetermined part of the evaporator are stainless steel. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat output portion of the condenser comprises multi-port aluminum tubes. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more electrical conductors hermetically encased in glass, the glass hermetically bonded to a metallic frame and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetically sealed interior. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat input portion is formed of copper, said copper being the first material of the explosion welded portion and comprising an inside surface facing the interior of the cavity, the apparatus further comprising a sintered copper plate bonded to the inside surface. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the copper of the heat input portion is non-annealed and protects the sintered copper plate. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  1 , wherein an end of the condenser distal to the evaporator is open ended type configuration formed having an open ended type configuration. 
     
     
         19 . An evaporator for use in a two-phase heat transfer apparatus, the evaporator comprising:
 a heat input portion for transferring heat from an exterior of the evaporator to a working fluid located in an interior of the evaporator thereby phase changing at least a portion of the working fluid into working fluid vapour; and   a port for transfer of the working fluid vapour to a condenser,   wherein the interior of the evaporator and the port are in fluidic communication with each other and form part of a hermetic interior of the two-phase heat transfer apparatus; and   wherein the evaporator comprises an explosion welded portion, the explosion welded portion including a first material explosion welded to a second material, the explosion welded portion forming part of a boundary defining the hermetic interior.   
     
     
         20 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein the evaporator further comprises at least one additional explosion welded portion, each of the at least one additional explosion welded portions including two different materials explosion welded together and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetic interior. 
     
     
         21 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein the explosion welded portion is integral with the heat input portion. 
     
     
         22 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein the first material of the explosion welded portion is hermetically bonded, via a bond other than an explosion weld, to a bonding site of the evaporator, the bonding site integral with the heat input portion, the first material and a material at the bonding site being materials amenable to said hermetic bonding. 
     
     
         23 . The evaporator of  claim 22 , wherein the explosion welded portion forms an integral part of an adaptor hermetically bonded to the bonding site of the evaporator, the adaptor either being further hermetically bonded to another component of the evaporator or being configured for hermetic bonding to another component of the two-phase heat transfer apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . The evaporator of  claim 23 , wherein the adapter further comprises an additional explosion welded portion including two different materials explosion welded together and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetic interior. 
     
     
         25 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein a lower part of the evaporator is formed of the first material, the first material being copper or silver, and wherein the explosion welded portion facilitates a transition from the first material to the second material. 
     
     
         26 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein an upper part of the evaporator is formed of the second material, the second material being stainless steel, Fernico, aluminum or brass, and wherein the explosion welded portion facilitates a transition from the second material to the first material. 
     
     
         27 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein the explosion welded portion further includes at least one transition layer of a third material explosion welded between the first material and the second material. 
     
     
         28 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , further comprising a sight glass hermetically bonded to a metallic frame and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetic interior. 
     
     
         29 . The evaporator of  claim 28 , wherein the metallic frame is hermetically bonded to a predetermined part of the evaporator via a bond other than an explosion weld, said predetermined part of the evaporator being a material amenable to said hermetic bonding, and wherein said predetermined part of the evaporator is integral with the explosion welded portion. 
     
     
         30 . The evaporator of  claim 29 , wherein said predetermined part of the evaporator is either integral with the heat input portion, coupled to the heat input portion via one or more explosion welds, coupled to the heat input portion via one or more hermetic bonds other than explosion welds, or coupled to the heat input portion via a combination of explosion welds and hermetic bonds other than explosion welds. 
     
     
         31 . The evaporator of  claim 30 , wherein the metallic frame and the predetermined part of the evaporator are stainless steel. 
     
     
         32 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , further comprising one or more electrical conductors hermetically encased in glass, the glass hermetically bonded to a metallic frame and forming part of the boundary defining the hermetic interior. 
     
     
         33 . The evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein the heat input portion is formed of copper, said copper being the first material of the explosion welded portion and comprising an inside surface facing the interior of the cavity, the evaporator further comprising a sintered copper plate bonded to the inside surface. 
     
     
         34 . The evaporator of  claim 33 , wherein the copper of the heat input portion is non-annealed and protects the sintered copper plate.