U.S. patent application number 11/308454 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for method and apparatus for making heat dissipation device having vacuum chamber and working fluid therein.
Invention is credited to Chuen-Shu Hou, Tay-Jian Liu, Chao-Nien Tung.
Application Number | 20070074521 11/308454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37900640 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070074521 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liu; Tay-Jian ; et
al. |
April 5, 2007 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE HAVING
VACUUM CHAMBER AND WORKING FLUID THEREIN
Abstract
A method and an apparatus (20) for removing non-condensable air
from, and filling a predetermined amount of working fluid into, a
heat dissipation device (10) are disclosed. The method includes the
following steps: pumping the non-condensable air out of the heat
dissipation device through an opening (12) thereof; measuring a
vacuum degree of an interior of the heat dissipation device;
filling a predetermined amount of working fluid into the heat
dissipation device through the opening when the interior of the
heat dissipation device reaches a predetermined vacuum degree; and
sealing the opening of the heat dissipation device. The apparatus
includes a vacuum pump (22), a vacuum gauge (26) and a
fluid-storage tank (24) for executing the above pumping, measuring
and filling steps, respectively.
Inventors: |
Liu; Tay-Jian; (Shenzhen,
CN) ; Hou; Chuen-Shu; (Shenzhen, CN) ; Tung;
Chao-Nien; (Shenzhen, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NORTH AMERICA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
P.O. BOX 506
MERRIFIELD
VA
22116
US
|
Family ID: |
37900640 |
Appl. No.: |
11/308454 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/3.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/20 20130101; G06F
2200/201 20130101; F25B 43/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/003.3 |
International
Class: |
F25B 21/02 20060101
F25B021/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 30, 2005 |
CN |
200510100055.0 |
Claims
1. A method for removing non-condensable air from a heat
dissipation device, comprising the steps of: pumping the
non-condensable air out of the heat dissipation device through an
opening thereof; measuring a vacuum degree of an interior of the
heat dissipation device; filling a predetermined amount of working
fluid into the heat dissipation device through the opening when the
interior of the heat dissipation device reaches a predetermined
vacuum degree; and sealing the opening of the heat dissipation
device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pumping step comprises
pumping the non-condensable air out of the heat dissipation device
by a vacuum pump fluidically connected with the opening of the heat
dissipation device.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measuring step comprises
measuring the vacuum degree by a vacuum gauge fluidically connected
with the opening of the heat dissipation device.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the working fluid is sucked into
the heat dissipation device from a fluid-storage tank fluidically
connected with the opening of the heat dissipation device.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the vacuum pump, the
fluid-storage tank and the vacuum gauge are commonly connected to
the opening of the heat dissipation device via a connection pipe
with multiple branches.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the connection pipe has at least
three branches, and the vacuum pump, the fluid-storage tank and the
vacuum gauge are respectively connected to the three branches.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation device is
one of a heat pipe, a vapor chamber-based heat spreader, a liquid
cooling system and a refrigeration system.
8. An apparatus for removing non-condensable air from, and filling
a predetermined amount of working fluid into a heat dissipation
device, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum pump for pumping the
non-condensable air originally in the heat dissipation device out
of the heat dissipation device; a vacuum gauge for detecting a
vacuum degree formed inside the heat dissipation device by the
vacuum pump; and a fluid-storage tank containing therein the
predetermined amount of working fluid, the fluid-storage tank being
adapted for filling the predetermined quantity of working fluid
into the heat dissipation device after the detected vacuum degree
inside the heat dissipation device reaches a predetermined
value.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a connection pipe
adapted for connecting with an opening of the heat dissipation
device, the connecting pipe having at least three branches, the
vacuum pump, the vacuum gauge and the fluid-storage tank being
connected to the three branches, respectively.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vacuum pump, the vacuum
gauge and the fluid-storage tank are each selectively maintained in
fluid communication with the connection pipe by a valve.
11. A method for removing air from a heat dissipation device,
comprising the following steps: preparing a connection pipe with
first, second and third branches; connecting a vacuum gauge, a
vacuum pump and a fluid-storage tank with the first, second and
third branches via first, second and third valves, respectively;
connecting the connection pipe with an opening of the heat
dissipation device through a fourth valve; opening the first,
second and fourth valves while closing the third valve; activating
the vacuum pump to drawing the air from the heat dissipation device
until the vacuum gauge detects that a vacuum in the heat
dissipation device reaches a predetermined level; closing the first
and second valves and opening the third valve until a working fluid
received in the fluid-storage tank is sucked into the heat
dissipation device; and sealing the opening of the heat dissipation
device.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the heat dissipation device is
one of heat pipe, vapor chamber-based heat spreader, liquid cooling
system and refrigeration system.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the working fluid is water when
the heat dissipation device is one of heat pipe, vapor
chamber-based heat spreader and liquid cooling system, and is
refrigerant when the heat dissipation device is refrigeration
system.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the refrigerant is Freon-12.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a heat
dissipation device, and more particularly to a method for making
the heat dissipation device having a vacuum chamber and a working
fluid therein, such as a heat pipe, a vapor chamber-based heat
spreader, a liquid cooling system, a refrigeration system and the
like. The present invention relates also to an apparatus for making
such a heat dissipation device.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Currently, in order to efficiently remove heat from heat
generating electronic components such as central processing units
(CPUs) of computers, fluid-containing heat dissipation devices such
as heat pipes, vapor chamber-based heat spreaders, liquid cooling
systems, refrigeration systems and the like, are widely used. As a
common characteristic, these heat dissipation devices contain
therein a working fluid, such as water, and employ the working
fluid as a heat transfer medium. When such a fluid-containing heat
dissipation device operates, the working fluid contained therein,
either undergoing a phase change or not, continuously takes heat
away from a heat generating electronic component with which the
heat dissipation device thermally contacts.
[0003] To ensure normal and efficient operations, it is desirable
to make the heat dissipation device free from non-condensable air
because non-condensable air remaining in the heat dissipation
device will produce an adverse or negative effect which may either
affect the heat dissipation efficiency of heat dissipation device
or cause damage to the components of the heat dissipation
device.
[0004] For example, in a liquid cooling system in which a coolant
such as water is driven by a pump so as to circulate through the
system, or in a refrigeration system in which a refrigerant such as
Freon-12 is driven by a compressor, non-condensable air in the
liquid cooling system or the refrigeration system will induce
cavitations on the impeller of the pump or the compressor when the
impeller rotates at a high speed, which will impair the heat
dissipation efficiency of the liquid cooling system or the
refrigeration system, and/or even cause damage to the pump or the
compressor. In a heat pipe or a vapor chamber-based heat spreader,
which includes an evaporating section/region and a condensing
section/region, non-condensable air in the heat pipe or the vapor
chamber-based heat spreader will form a barrier preventing heat
transfer from a heat source to working fluid in the evaporating
section/region, which in turn decreases the heat transfer
capability of the heat pipe or the heat spreader.
[0005] Furthermore, as the working fluid circulates or flows
quickly in the heat dissipation device, non-condensable air
remaining in the heat dissipation device also accelerates the
flow-induced erosion and corrosion associated with the components
of the heat dissipation device, as well as the pipes
interconnecting these components, which significantly affects the
life-span of the heat dissipation device.
[0006] In order to fill a predetermined amount of working fluid
into the heat dissipation device and meanwhile remove the
non-condensable air from the same, a method involving the following
steps is proposed. First, the predetermined amount of working fluid
is filled into the heat dissipation device. After that, the
non-condensable air originally in the heat dissipation device is
pumped out.
[0007] In the foregoing method, the working fluid is filled into
the heat dissipation device before the non-condensable air in the
heat dissipation device is pumped out. Therefore, it is easy to
lead to the problem that a portion of the previously filled working
fluid will also be inadvertently pumped out during the following
air-pumping step. This problem is especially easy to occur in the
circumstances where a relatively high vacuum degree is desirable in
the heat dissipation device. As a result, this method generally
cannot effectively remove the non-condensable air from the heat
dissipation device without the risk of reducing the amount of
working fluid that is finally sealed within the heat dissipation
device. The foregoing method generally is undesirable or
inapplicable for use in making a heat pipe since even a little
reduction of the amount of the working fluid sealed within the heat
pipe will affect the heat transfer performance of the heat pipe
significantly.
[0008] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method of removing
non-condensable air from a fluid-containing heat dissipation
device, which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages. It is also
desirable to provide an apparatus for carrying out the method.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates, in one aspect, to a method of
removing non-condensable air from a heat dissipation device in
which a working fluid is contained. Such a heat dissipation device
includes, but is not limited to, heat pipe, vapor chamber-based
heat spreader, liquid cooling system and refrigeration system. The
method includes the following steps: pumping the non-condensable
air out of the heat dissipation device through an opening thereof;
measuring a vacuum degree of an interior of the heat dissipation
device; filling a predetermined amount of working fluid into the
heat dissipation device through the opening when the interior of
the heat dissipation device reaches a predetermined vacuum degree;
and sealing the opening of the heat dissipation device.
[0010] The present invention relates, in another aspect, to an
apparatus used for removing the non-condensable air from, and
filling the predetermined amount of working fluid into, the heat
dissipation device. The apparatus includes: a vacuum pump for
pumping the non-condensable air originally in the heat dissipation
device out of the heat dissipation device, a vacuum gauge for
detecting the vacuum degree formed inside the heat dissipation
device by the vacuum pump, and a fluid-storage tank containing
therein the predetermined amount of working fluid. The
fluid-storage tank is adapted for filling the predetermined
quantity of working fluid into the heat dissipation device after
the detected vacuum degree inside the heat dissipation device
reaches the predetermined value.
[0011] Other advantages and novel features of the present invention
will become more apparent from the following detailed description
of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention used for
removing non-condensable air from a fluid-containing heat
dissipation device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an integrated apparatus 20 in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention used for removing
non-condensable air from a heat dissipation device 10 and meanwhile
filling a predetermined amount of working fluid into the heat
dissipation device 10. The heat dissipation device 10 employs the
filled working fluid as a heat transfer medium for heat
transfer/dissipation purposes. Such a heat dissipation device 10
includes, without limitation, heat pipe, vapor chamber-based heat
spreader, liquid cooling system and refrigeration system.
[0014] A heat pipe is a heat transfer device having an elongated
configuration in which a wick structure is provided, with the
filled working fluid being saturated in the wick structure. The
heat pipe transfers heat continuously from an evaporating end to a
condensing end thereof as the working fluid contained therein
undergoes a phase change and travels between the two ends. A vapor
chamber-based heat spreader has a similar structure and working
principle with the heat pipe, except that the heat spreader
generally has a plate-type configuration, making it particularly
advantageous in transferring heat from a concentrated heat source
uniformly to a large heat dissipation surface such as a heat sink
base. A liquid cooling system generally includes a heat absorbing
member, a heat dissipating member and a pump used for driving the
filled working fluid to circulate between the heat absorbing member
and the heat dissipating member. As with a refrigeration system, it
generally includes an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor used
for driving the working fluid to circulate between the evaporator
and the condenser. The working fluid in the refrigeration system
evaporates into vapor at the evaporator. The vapor flows towards
the compressor, and after being compressed at the compressor, the
resultant high pressure vapor flows towards the condenser where the
vapor is condensed into liquid, which is then returned back to the
evaporator.
[0015] The apparatus 20 includes a vacuum pump 22, a fluid-storage
tank 24 and a vacuum gauge 26. The vacuum pump 22 is used to remove
the non-condensable air as originally contained in the heat
dissipation device 10. The fluid-storage tank 24 stores therein a
predetermined quantity of working fluid, which is intended to fill
into the heat dissipation device 10. In most cases except the
refrigeration system, the working fluid used for the heat
dissipation device 10 is water although other working fluid such as
methanol, ammonia and the like may also be suitable, based on
specific requirements of the heat dissipation device 10. In the
refrigeration system, Freon-12 is used. In the present embodiment,
a connection pipe 28 having first, second and third branches 282,
284, 286 is provided in order to connect the components (i.e., the
vacuum pump 22, the fluid-storage tank 24 and the vacuum gauge 26)
of the apparatus 20 with the heat dissipation device 10.
Specifically, the heat dissipation device 10 has an opening 12. The
connection pipe 28 is connected with the opening 12 of the heat
dissipation device 10, while the vacuum pump 22, the fluid-storage
tank 24 and the vacuum gauge 26 are connected at the first, second
and third branches 282, 284, 286 of the connection pipe 28,
respectively. A valve 283 is provided at the first branch 282 so
that the vacuum pump 22 can be maintained in fluid communication
with the connection pipe 28 selectively as the valve 283 is
switched on or off. Similarly, a valve 285 is provided at the
second branch 284 and a valve 287 at the third branch 286 for
respectively permitting the fluid-storage tank 24 and the vacuum
gauge 26 to establish fluidic communications with the connection
pipe 28 selectively. The connection pipe 28 is provided with a
valve 289, which selectively controls the fluid communication
between the heat dissipation device 10 and the apparatus 20 as
switched between on and off.
[0016] In operation, the connection pipe 28 is hermetically
connected to the opening 12 of the heat dissipation device 10. The
valves 283, 287, 289 are turned on, and the vacuum pump 22 operates
to pump out the non-condensable air originally in the heat
dissipation device 10. At this moment, the vacuum gauge 26 is used
to measure a vacuum degree in the heat dissipation device 10 caused
by the vacuum pump 22. After an interior of the heat dissipation
device 10 reaches, as measured by the vacuum gauge 26, the
predetermined vacuum degree, the valves 283, 287 are turned off.
Then, the valve 285 is turned on, and the predetermined quantity of
working fluid previously stored in the fluid-storage tank 24 is
accordingly sucked into the heat dissipation device 10 due to the
presence of vacuum condition in the heat dissipation device 10.
Immediately thereafter, the valves 285, 289 are turned off, and the
opening 12 of the heat dissipation device 10 is hermetically sealed
by, for example, a soldering process. As a result, the heat
dissipation device 10 is vacuum-sealed with the predetermined
quantity of working fluid therein.
[0017] As indicated above, the non-condensable air in heat
dissipation device 10 is firstly withdrawn and then the working
fluid for the heat dissipation device 10 is filled into the heat
dissipation device 10. In this order, the problem in relation to
the conventional art that the previously filled working fluid will
be inadvertently pumped out of the heat dissipation device in the
following air-pumping step is effectively eliminated. The heat
dissipation device 10 is sealed with a precise amount of working
fluid therein. The non-condensable air in the heat dissipation
device 10 can be effectively removed by the vacuum pump 22 before
the working fluid contained in the fluid-storage tank 24 is filled
into the heat dissipation device 10.
[0018] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *