Two-phase thermal syphon assembly

Abstract

A two-phase thermal syphon assembly includes a plate and one or more thermal syphon pipes. The plate is configured to extract heat from one or more heat-generating devices in contact therewith. The plate has surfaces that define a volume thereof. The surfaces include a first flat surface, a second flat surface that extends in a horizontal plane parallel to a plane in which the first flat surface extends, and one or more side surfaces extending between the first and second flat surfaces. The side surfaces have a distance between the first and second flat surfaces that is less than distances on the first flat surface between the side surfaces and distances on the second flat surface between the side surfaces. Each of the flat surfaces is configured to respectively contact one of the heat-generating devices to extract heat therefrom.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A two-phase thermal syphon assembly, comprising:
 a plate configured to extract heat from one or more heat-generating devices in contact therewith, the plate having surfaces that define a volume thereof and one or more channels formed within the volume, the surfaces including a first flat surface, a second flat surface, and one or more side surfaces extending between the first and second flat surfaces, the first and second flat surfaces being perpendicular to a gravity vector, each of the flat surfaces being configured to respectively contact one of the heat-generating devices to extract heat therefrom, the channels being respectively open at the side surfaces and extending from the side surfaces through the volume of the plate toward the gravity vector at an angle between 0° to 4° from the first and second flat surfaces to positions within the volume at which the channels respectively end; and   one or more thermal syphon pipes respectively embedded within the channels and extending out of and away from the channels, the thermal syphon pipes being configured to remove the extracted heat from the plate.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second flat surface extends along a plane that is parallel to a plane along which the first flat surface extends 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the side surfaces have a distance between the first and second flat surfaces that is less than distances on the first flat surface between the side surfaces and distances on the second flat surfaces between the side surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first flat surface is mounted on top of one of the heat-generating devices in contact therewith. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal syphon pipes include first and second straight portions, the first straight portions respectively including first ends of the thermal syphon pipes, the second straight portions respectively including second ends of the thermal syphon pipes, the first ends of the thermal syphon pipes being respectively embedded in the channels. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the first straight portion of the thermal syphon pipes respectively extend along planes that are at an angle between 0° to 4° from the planes along which the first and second flat surfaces extend. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the first straight portions of the thermal syphon pipes respectively extend from the first ends of the heat pipes through the channels and exit the plate through the side surfaces to extend toward connection with the second straight portions. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a stack of fins through which the second straight portions respectively extend to the second ends of the thermal syphon pipes, the fins being configured to cool the thermal syphon pipes,   wherein the second straight portions of the thermal syphon pipes extend through the fins in planes that are angled to the planes along which the first and the second flat surfaces extend.   
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein a working fluid is contained within the thermal syphon pipes, the fluid being configured to evaporate when exposed to the extracted heat from the plate that has been transferred to the working fluid through the thermal syphon pipes, the working fluid being further configured to condense as a result of the cooling of the thermal syphon pipes provided by the fins. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the thermal syphon pipes respectively have transition points at which the first straight portions of the thermal syphon pipes connect with other portions of the thermal syphon pipes,
 wherein the thermal syphon pipes comprise first thermal syphon pipes and second thermal syphon pipes,   wherein the first straight portions of the first thermal syphon pipes are respectively directly connected to the second straight portion pipes of the first thermal syphon pipes at the transition points,   wherein the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes are respectively connected to the second straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes through angular portions of the second thermal syphon pipes that are connected to the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes at the transition points, the transition points in the first thermal syphon pipes being at a same location along the first thermal syphon pipes as are the transition points in the second thermal syphon pipes, and   wherein the angular portions of the second thermal syphon pipes extend away from the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes at an angle that is greater than an angle at which the second straight portion pipes of the first thermal syphons extend away from the first straight portions of the first thermal syphon pipes.   
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein a sum of the distance of the side surfaces between the first and second flat surfaces and respective outside diameters of embedded portions of the first straight portions that are embedded in the plate is in a range of 3.5% to 9.0% of respective lengths of the embedded portions. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the plate is rectangular, and
 wherein the lengths of the embedded portions are respectively greater than or equal to 80% of one of the distances on the first or the second flat surfaces that extends from one of the side surfaces into which the embedded portions are inserted to an opposite one of the side surfaces.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the second straight portions respectively extend away from the first straight portions in planes that are at an angle that is greater than the angle of the planes in which the first straight portions of the thermal syphon pipes extends from the planes along which the first and second flat surfaces extend. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the first straight portions of the first and second thermal syphon pipes are completely embedded in the channels of the plate up until the transition points of the first and second thermal syphon pipes. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the channels extend from the side surfaces through the volume of the plate toward the gravity vector at an angle between 2° to 4° from the first and second flat surfaces to positions within the volume at which the channels respectively end. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the channels extend from the side surfaces through the volume of the plate toward the gravity vector at an angle of 3° from the first and second flat surfaces to positions within the volume at which the channels respectively end. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the heat-generating devices is supported by and mounted on the first flat surface, and
 wherein another one of the heat-generating devices is supported by and mounted on the second flat surface.   
     
     
         18 . A two-phase syphon assembly, comprising:
 a plate configured to extract heat from one or more heat-generating devices in contact therewith, the plate having surfaces that define a volume thereof and one or more channels formed within the volume, the surfaces including a first flat surface, a second flat surface, and one or more side surfaces extending between the first and second flat surfaces, the first and second flat surfaces being parallel to a gravity vector, each of the flat surfaces being configured to respectively contact one of the heat-generating devices to extract heat therefrom, the channels being respectively open at the side surfaces and extending from the side surfaces through the volume of the plate toward the gravity vector to positions within the volume at which the channels respectively end; and   one or more thermal syphon pipes respectively embedded within the channels and extending out of and away from the channels, the thermal syphon pipes being configured to remove the extracted heat from the plate.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the thermal syphon pipes include first and second straight portions, the first straight portions respectively including first ends of the thermal syphon pipes, the second straight portions respectively including second ends of the thermal syphon pipes, the first ends of the thermal syphon pipes being respectively embedded in the channels. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the thermal syphon pipes respectively have transition points at which the first straight portions of the thermal syphon pipes connect with other portions of the thermal syphon pipes,
 wherein the thermal syphon pipes comprise first thermal syphon pipes and second thermal syphon pipes,   wherein the first straight portions of the first thermal syphon pipes are respectively directly connected to the second straight portion pipes of the first thermal syphon pipes at the transition points,   wherein the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes are respectively connected to the second straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes through angular portions of the second thermal syphon pipes that are connected to the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes at the transition points, the transition points in the first thermal syphon pipes being at a same location along the first thermal syphon pipes as are the transition points in the second thermal syphon pipes, and   wherein the angular portions of the second thermal syphon pipes extend away from the first straight portions of the second thermal syphon pipes at an angle that is greater than an angle at which the second straight portion pipes of the first thermal syphons extend away from the first straight portions of the first thermal syphon pipes.