Metal woodpile capillary wick

Abstract

A heat pipe that employs a metal woodpile capillary wick. The heat pipe includes an outer enclosure defining a chamber therein that contains a working fluid, an evaporator section for converting the fluid to vapor in response to being heated from a heat source, and a condenser section for converting the vapor back into the fluid in response to cooling from a heat sink. The wick is positioned within the chamber in contact with the enclosure and extends between the evaporator section and the condenser section. The wick includes a plurality of layers each having spaced apart parallel thermally conductive bars defining channels therebetween, where the bars in adjacent layers are oriented in different directions and where the condensed fluid flows through the channels in the wick from the condenser section to the evaporator section.

1 . A heat pipe comprising:
 an outer enclosure defining a chamber therein and containing a working fluid;   an evaporator section for evaporating the fluid to vapor in response to being heated from a heat source;   a condenser section for condensing the vapor back into the fluid in response to cooling from a heat sink; and   a capillary wick positioned within the chamber in contact with the enclosure and extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section, wherein the capillary wick has a size to as to create a vapor cavity in the chamber outside of the wick, said wick including a plurality of layers each having spaced apart parallel and straight thermally conductive bars defining channels therebetween where the bars in adjacent layers are oriented in different directions and where the vapor flows through the vapor cavity from the evaporator section to the condenser section and the condensed fluid flows through the wick from the condenser section to the evaporator section.   
     
     
         2 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars in adjacent layers are orthogonal to each other. 
     
     
         3 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars in every other layer are oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         4 . The heat pipe according to  claim 3  wherein the bars that are oriented in the same direction in different layers are aligned with each other. 
     
     
         5 . The heat pipe according to  claim 3  wherein the bars that are oriented in the same direction in different layers are offset from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein some of the bars have a different cross-sectional size than other bars. 
     
     
         7 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein some of the bars have a different cross-sectional shape than other bars. 
     
     
         8 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars are round in cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars are rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars in some layers are round in cross-section and the bars in other layers are rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         11 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the wick is designed to provide greater thermal capacity closer to the enclosure and greater evaporation farther from the enclosure. 
     
     
         12 . The heat pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the bars are copper bars. 
     
     
         13 . A heat pipe comprising:
 an outer enclosure defining a chamber therein and containing a working fluid;   an evaporator section for evaporating the fluid to vapor in response to being heated from a heat source;   a condenser section for condensing the vapor back into the fluid in response to cooling from a heat sink; and   a capillary wick positioned within the chamber in contact with the enclosure and extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section, wherein the capillary wick has a size to as to create a vapor cavity in the chamber outside of the wick, said wick including a plurality of layers each having spaced apart parallel and straight copper rectangular bars defining channels therebetween where the bars in adjacent layers are orthogonal to each other and where the vapor flows through the vapor cavity from the evaporator section to the condenser section and the condensed fluid flows through the wick from the condenser section to the evaporator section.   
     
     
         14 . The heat pipe according to  claim 13  wherein the bars in every other layer are oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         15 . The heat pipe according to  claim 14  wherein the bars that are oriented in the same direction in different layers are aligned with each other. 
     
     
         16 . The heat pipe according to  claim 14  wherein the bars that are oriented in the same direction in different layers are offset from each other. 
     
     
         17 . The heat pipe according to  claim 13  wherein some of the bars have a different cross-sectional size than other bars. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A heat pipe comprising:
 an outer enclosure defining a chamber therein and containing a working fluid;   an evaporator section for evaporating the fluid to vapor in response to being heated from a heat source;   a condenser section for condensing the vapor back into the fluid in response to cooling from a heat sink; and   a capillary wick positioned within the chamber in contact with the enclosure and extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section, said wick including a plurality of layers each having spaced apart parallel thermally conductive bars defining channels therebetween where the bars in adjacent layers are oriented in different directions and where the condensed fluid flows through the wick from the condenser section to the evaporator section, wherein the layers in the wick are configured so that layers that are closer to the enclosure have a greater heat conduction than layers that are farther from the enclosure and layers that are farther from the enclosure have a greater evaporation capacity than layers that are closer to the enclosure.   
     
     
         22 . The heat pipe according to  claim 21  wherein the bars in adjacent layers are orthogonal to each other. 
     
     
         23 . The heat pipe according to  claim 21  wherein the bars in every other layer are oriented in the same direction.