Systems, methods, and apparatus for passive cooling of uavs

Abstract

An innovative passive cooling solution with sealed UAV enclosure system allows heat from a semiconductor chip to be dissipated to the ambient environment through evaporation/condensation phase-change cooling and air cooling a heat sink such as a fin without any additional power consumption to operate cooling solution. One example of such a solution may include a pipe with a fin and a fluid. The pipe may include a wick structure along an inner surface of the pipe configured to allow the fluid to travel within the wick structure and to allow a vapor form of the fluid to exit the wick structure towards a center of the pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A passive cooling apparatus, comprising:
 a pipe comprising a fin and a fluid, the fin located on a top of the pipe in a first location;   a heat source attached to the top of the pipe in a second location, the second location space a first distance from the first location;   a propeller located above the fin; and   a wick structure along an inner surface of the pipe, the wick structure configured to allow the fluid to travel within the wick structure and to allow a vapor form of the fluid to exit the wick structure towards a center of the pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wick structure is configured to cause the fluid to evaporate within the pipe at the second location and form the vapor that moves toward the first location where the vapor to condenses back into the fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the wick structure is one of a honeycomb, mesh, fiber, or powder. 
     
     
         4 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is a pin fin. 
     
     
         5 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe is composed of one of aluminum, copper, or plastic materials. 
     
     
         6 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is one of a plurality of circular fins arranged inline, a plurality of circular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of square fins arranged inline, a plurality of square fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of oval fins arranged in a staggered formation, or a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         7 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the propeller is a plurality of propellers in multiple locations, each spaced from the second location. 
     
     
         8 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe is one of a straight pipe, an L shaped pipe, an H shaped pipe, or a T shaped pipe and have a thickness between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . A passive cooling apparatus, comprising:
 means for heat transfer, the means for heat transfer configured to transfer heat from a second location to a first location spaced a first distance from the second location;   means for heat dissipation, the means for heat dissipation located on a top of the means for heat transfer in the first location;   means for heat conduction, the means for heat conduction located in the means for heat transfer;   means for air flow, the means for air flow located above the means for heat dissipation; and   means for liquid containment along an inner surface of the means for heat transfer, the means for liquid containment configured to allow the means for heat conduction to travel within the means for liquid containment and to allow a vapor form of the means for heat conduction to exit the means for liquid containment towards a center of the means for heat transfer.   
     
     
         10 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for liquid containment is configured to cause the means for heat conduction to evaporate within the means for heat transfer at the second location and form the vapor that moves toward the first location where the vapor to condenses back into the means for heat conduction. 
     
     
         11 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the means for liquid containment is one of a honeycomb, mesh, fiber, or powder. 
     
     
         12 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for heat dissipation is a pin fin. 
     
     
         13 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for heat transfer is composed of one of aluminum, copper, or plastic materials. 
     
     
         14 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for heat dissipation is one of a plurality of circular fins arranged inline, a plurality of circular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of square fins arranged inline, a plurality of square fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in a staggered formation, a plurality of oval fins arranged in a staggered formation, or a plurality of rectangular fins arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         15 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for air flow is a plurality of propellers in multiple locations, each spaced from the second location. 
     
     
         16 . The passive cooling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the means for heat transfer is one of a straight pipe, an L shaped pipe, an H shaped pipe, or a T shaped pipe and have a thickness between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         17 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
 a body;   a pipe with a fin and a fluid, the fin located on a top of the pipe in a first location outside the body and the pipe extends from inside the body to outside the body;   a heat source attached to the top of the pipe in a second location inside the body, the second location space a first distance from the first location;   a propeller located above the fin; and   a wick structure along an inner surface of the pipe, the wick structure configured to allow the fluid to travel within the wick structure and to allow a vapor form of the fluid to exit the wick structure towards a center of the pipe.   
     
     
         18 . The UAV of  claim 17 , wherein the wick structure is configured to cause the fluid to evaporate within the pipe at the second location and form the vapor that moves toward the first location where the vapor condenses back into the fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The UAV of  claim 18 , wherein the wick structure is one of a honeycomb, mesh, fiber, or powder. 
     
     
         20 . The UAV of  claim 17 , wherein the body is hermetically sealed and the pipe has a variable thickness along an axial direction with the variable thickness of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.