Loop-type heat exchange device

Abstract

A loop-type heat exchange device ( 10 ) is disclosed, which includes an evaporator ( 20 ), a condenser ( 40 ), a vapor conduit ( 30 ) and a liquid conduit ( 50 ). The evaporator defines therein a chamber for containing a working fluid. The chamber is divided into an evaporating region and a micro-channel region. The working fluid in the evaporator evaporates into vapor after absorbing heat at the evaporating region, and the generated vapor flows, via the vapor conduit, to the condenser where the vapor releases its latent heat of evaporation and is condensed into condensate. The condensate then returns back, via the liquid conduit, to the evaporator to thereby form a heat transfer loop. The evaporator is configured in such a manner that an amount of vapor to be formed and accumulated in the micro-channel region can be minimized.

1 . A heat exchange device comprising: 
 an evaporator defining therein a chamber for containing a working fluid, the chamber being divided into two regions, the working fluid being capable of turning into vapor in the evaporator upon receiving heat at one region of said chamber;    a condenser;    a vapor conduit and a liquid conduit each being connected between the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the vapor generated in the evaporator is capable of being transferred via the vapor conduit to the condenser and turning into condensate in the condenser upon releasing the heat, and the condensate is capable of being transferred via the liquid conduit to the evaporator; and    means formed on the evaporator for reducing an amount of vapor being accumulated in the other region of said chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein said means is a cooling device thermally connected to the evaporator at a location corresponding to the other region of said chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The heat exchange device of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling device includes a plurality of cooling fins connected to an outer surface of the evaporator.  
   
   
       4 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator includes a top cover and a bottom cover cooperating with each other to define said chamber, and said means is a protrusion section projecting downwardly from the bottom cover corresponding to the one region of said chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein a wick structure is arranged inside the liquid conduit.  
   
   
       6 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein a wick structure is arranged inside the evaporator spanning across the two regions of said chamber.  
   
   
       7 . The heat exchange device of  claim 6 , wherein the one region of said chamber is partially filled with the first wick structure and the other region of said chamber is fully filled with the wick structure.  
   
   
       8 . The heat exchange device of  claim 7 , wherein a portion of the wick structure extends from the other region of said chamber into a middle part of the one region of said chamber.  
   
   
       9 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , wherein the vapor conduit and the liquid conduit are flexible.  
   
   
       10 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , further comprising another vapor conduit connected between the evaporator and the condenser.  
   
   
       11 . The heat exchange device of  claim 1 , further comprising another condenser, another vapor conduit and another liquid conduit, the another vapor conduit and the another liquid conduit each being connected between the another condenser and said evaporator.  
   
   
       12 . A heat exchange device comprising: 
 an evaporator defining therein a chamber for containing a first wick structure and a working fluid saturated in the first wick structure, the chamber being divided into two regions, the first wick structure spanning across both the two regions of the chamber, the working fluid being capable of turning into vapor in the evaporator upon receiving heat at one region of said chamber;    a condenser; and    a vapor conduit and a liquid conduit each being connected between the evaporator and the condenser, the liquid conduit having a second wick structure arranged therein, wherein the vapor generated in the evaporator is capable of being transferred via the vapor conduit to the condenser and turning into condensate in the condenser upon releasing the heat, and the condensate is capable of being transferred via the liquid conduit to the other region of said chamber of said evaporator under a capillary force developed by the second wick structure.    
   
   
       13 . The heat exchange device of  claim 12 , wherein a plurality of cooling fins is thermally connected to an outer surface of the evaporator corresponding to the other region of said chamber.  
   
   
       14 . The heat exchange device of  claim 12 , wherein the evaporator includes a top cover and a bottom cover cooperating with each other to define said chamber, and the bottom cover has a section being thicker than the remaining part of the bottom cover, the section corresponding to the one region of said chamber.  
   
   
       15 . A loop heat exchanging device having working fluid therein comprising: 
 an evaporator having a first region accommodating therein a first wick structure and a second region having a part adapted for receiving heat from a heat generating component for heating the working fluid into vapor;    a vapor conduit having a first end communicating with the second region of the evaporator so that the vapor can enter the vapor conduit and a second end;    a condenser communicating with the second end of the vapor conduit, in the condenser the vapor being condensed to condensate; and    a condensate conduit having a first end communicating with the condenser so that the condensate can enter the condensate conduit and a second end communicating with the first region of the evaporator so that the condensate in the condensate conduit can enter the first region of the evaporator to saturate the first wick structure.    
   
   
       16 . The loop heat exchanging device of  claim 15 , wherein the condensate conduit accommodates a second wick structure therein.  
   
   
       17 . The loop heat exchanging device of  claim 16 , wherein the first wick structure extends to the part of the second region of the evaporator for receiving heat from the heat generating component.  
   
   
       18 . The loop heat exchanging device of  claim 17 , wherein the part of the second region of the evaporator is located at a middle of the second region and the first wick structure extends further to two sides of the second region.  
   
   
       19 . The loop heat exchanging device of  claim 17 , wherein the evaporator has outwardly extending fins at the first region.  
   
   
       20 . The loop heat exchanging device of  claim 19 , wherein the evaporator has an outer wall, the outer wall having first portion and second portion corresponding to the first and second regions, respectively, the second portion being thicker than the first portion.