Oscillating heat pipes with randomly varying channel size

Abstract

Oscillating heat pipes and methods of making the same. The oscillating heat pipes include a condenser region, an evaporator region, and a set of channels arranged between the condenser region and the evaporator region. The set of channels define at least a portion of a fluid circuit for a working fluid. Each channel of the set of channels has a respective channel property value that is a percentage variation from a nominal channel property value and the set of channels defines an aperiodic set of channels with respect to the channel property.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oscillating heat pipe comprising:
 a condenser region;   an evaporator region; and   a set of channels arranged between the condenser region and the evaporator region and defining at least a portion of a fluid circuit for a working fluid, wherein each channel of the set of channels has a respective channel property value that is a percentage variation from a nominal channel property value and the set of channels defines an aperiodic set of channels with respect to the channel property.   
     
     
         2 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein each respective channel property value of the individual channels of the set of channels is a random value selected within a predefined range relative to the nominal channel property value. 
     
     
         3 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the predefined range is a set of values within 5% of the nominal channel property value. 
     
     
         4 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the predefined range is a set of values within a selected percentage range selected between 5%-60% of the nominal channel property value. 
     
     
         5 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the set of channels comprises a minimum of three channels. 
     
     
         6 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid circuit comprises two or more sets of channels, wherein each set of channels of the two or more sets of channels is identical with respect to the number of channels and the respective channel properties of the channels forming each set of channels, and wherein the sets of channels are fluidly connected together. 
     
     
         7 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein a first channel of the set of channels has a respective first channel property that is different from a second channel of the set of channels having a respective second channel property. 
     
     
         8 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the set of channels comprises at least three channels, wherein each channel of the at least three channels within the set of channels has a different channel property value. 
     
     
         9 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the channel property is a channel diameter. 
     
     
         10 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the channel property is a channel hydraulic diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the channel property is at least one of a channel diameter, a channel width, a channel depth, a channel shape, a channel geometry, a channel cross-sectional area, or a channel hydraulic diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein each channel is fluidly connected to an adjacent channel by a bend to form the fluid circuit. 
     
     
         13 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 12 , wherein a first channel of the set of channels is fluidly connected to a second channel by a bend formed in the evaporator region, and the second channel is connected to a third channel by a bend formed in the condenser region. 
     
     
         14 . The oscillating heat pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adiabatic region defined between the condenser region and the evaporator region, wherein each channel of the set of channels extends across the adiabatic region between the condenser region and the evaporator region.   
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing an oscillating heat pipe, the method comprising:
 forming a condenser region;   forming an evaporator region; and   arranging a set of channels to extend between the condenser region and the evaporator region, wherein the set of channels are arranged to define at least a portion of a fluid circuit for a working fluid, wherein each channel of the set of channels has a respective channel property value that is a percentage variation from a nominal channel property value and the set of channels defines an aperiodic set of channels with respect to the channel property.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each respective channel property value of the individual channels of the set of channels is a random value selected within a predefined range relative to the nominal channel property value. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the forming of the condenser region and the evaporator region, and arranging the plurality of channels is performed using additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the channel property is at least one of a channel diameter, a channel width, a channel depth, a channel shape, a channel geometry, a channel cross-sectional area, or a channel hydraulic diameter. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each channel is fluidly connected to an adjacent channel by a bend to form the fluid circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 forming an adiabatic region between the condenser region and the evaporator region, wherein each channel of the set of channels extends across the adiabatic region between the condenser region and the evaporator region.