Evaporator and condenser section structure for thermosiphon

Abstract

A thermosiphon device includes a closed loop evaporator section having one or more evaporation channels that are fed by a liquid return path, and a condenser section with one or more condensing channels. The condenser section may include a vapor supply path that is adjacent one or more condensing channels, e.g., located between two sets of condensing channels. Evaporator and/or condenser sections may be made from a single, flat bent tube, which may be bent about an axis parallel to the plane of the flat tube to form a turnaround and/or twisted about an axis along a length of the tube at the tube ends. A single tube may form both evaporator and condenser sections of a thermosiphon device, and an axially extending wall inside the tube in the evaporator section may separate an evaporator section from a liquid return section.

1 . A thermosiphon cooling device including:
 an evaporator section including at least one evaporation channel having an inlet and an outlet and arranged to receive heat and evaporate a liquid in the at least one evaporation channel to deliver vapor to the evaporation channel outlet, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation channel, the liquid return path having an inlet and an outlet that is fluidly coupled to the evaporation channel inlet, wherein the evaporator section is formed as a flat tube that is bent at a location where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet; OR   a condenser section including at least one condenser channel having an inlet and an outlet and arranged to transfer heat and condense a vapor in the at least one condenser channel to deliver condensed liquid to the condenser channel outlet, and a vapor supply path for delivering evaporated liquid to the inlet of the at least one condenser channel, the vapor supply path having an inlet and an outlet that is fluidly coupled to the condenser channel inlet, wherein the condenser section is formed as a flat tube that is bent at a location where the vapor supply path outlet communicates with the at least one condenser channel inlet.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , including the evaporator section and further comprising a manifold fluidly connected to the at least one evaporation channel outlet and the liquid return path inlet. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid return path inlet is positioned below the at least one evaporation channel outlet in the manifold. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the flat tube is bent to form a 180 degree bend where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein an outlet end of the flat tube at the evaporator channel outlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the outlet end, and wherein an inlet end of the flat tube at the liquid return path inlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the inlet end. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein inlet and outlet ends of the flat tube are twisted 90 degrees about the axes. 
     
     
         7 . A thermosiphon cooling device including:
 a closed loop evaporator section including at least one evaporation channel having an inlet and an outlet, the evaporator section being arranged to receive heat and evaporate a liquid in the at least one evaporation channel to deliver vapor to the evaporation channel outlet, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation channel inlet, the liquid return path having an inlet and an outlet that is fluidly coupled to the evaporation channel inlet and being arranged such that downward flow of condensed liquid from the liquid return path inlet to the liquid return path outlet is separated from an upward flow of vapor to the evaporation channel outlet, wherein the evaporator section is formed as a flat tube that is bent at a location where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet; and   a condenser section including at least one condensing channel arranged to receive vapor from the at least one evaporation channel that flows upwardly in the condensing channel and arranged to transfer heat from the vapor to a surrounding environment to condense the vapor to a liquid which flows downwardly in the condensing channel to the liquid return path inlet.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the at least one evaporation channel and the liquid return path with the at least one condensing channel. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the liquid return path inlet is positioned below the at least one evaporation channel outlet in the manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the flat tube is bent to form a 180 degree bend where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein an outlet end of the flat tube at the evaporator channel outlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the outlet end, and wherein an inlet end of the flat tube at the liquid return path inlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the inlet end. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein inlet and outlet ends of the flat tube are twisted 90 degrees about the axes. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the condenser section includes first and second flat panels that sandwich a channel-defining member so as to form a plurality of condensing channels, the first and second flat panels defining a lower manifold that fluidly connects lower ends of the condenser channels. 
     
     
         14 . A thermosiphon cooling device including:
 a closed loop evaporator section including at least one evaporation channel having an inlet and an outlet and arranged to receive heat and evaporate a liquid in the at least one evaporation channel to deliver vapor to the evaporation channel outlet, and a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation channel, the liquid return path having an inlet and an outlet that is fluidly coupled to the evaporation channel inlet; and   a condenser section including a vapor supply channel arranged to receive vapor from the outlet of the at least one evaporation channel and to deliver vapor to an upper end of the at least one condensing channel that is arranged to transfer heat from the vapor to a surrounding environment to condense the vapor to a liquid which flows downwardly in the condensing channel to the liquid return path inlet, wherein the vapor supply channel is adjacent the at least one condensing channel.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the inlet of the liquid return path with a bottom of the at least one condensing channel. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein a wall that defines at least a part of the vapor supply channel defines at least a part of the adjacent at least one condensing channel. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein an outlet end of the at least one evaporator channel is inserted into the vapor supply channel. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein an outlet end of the at least one evaporator channel is coupled to the vapor supply channel such that liquid flowing downwardly in the vapor supply channel does not enter the outlet end of the at least one evaporator channel. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the inlet of the liquid return path with a bottom of the at least one condensing channel, and wherein liquid flowing downwardly in the vapor supply channel enters the manifold. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the condenser section includes a plurality of parallel condensing channels, and wherein the vapor supply channel is located between two sets of the condensing channels. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the condenser section includes first and second flat panels that sandwich a channel-defining member so as to form a plurality of condensing channels and the vapor supply channel, the first and second flat panels defining a lower manifold that fluidly connects lower ends of the condenser channels, and defining an upper manifold that fluidly connects upper ends of the condensing channels and the vapor supply channel. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the evaporator section is formed as a flat tube that is bent at a location where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the flat tube is bent to form a 180 degree bend where the liquid return outlet communicates with the at least one evaporation channel inlet. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein an outlet end of the flat tube at the evaporator channel outlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the outlet end, and wherein an inlet end of the flat tube at the liquid return path inlet is twisted about an axis along a length of the flat tube at the inlet end. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein inlet and outlet ends of the flat tube are twisted 90 degrees about the axes. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the condenser section includes a plurality of condensing channels, and wherein the outlet end of the flat tube is fluidly coupled to the vapor supply channel, and the inlet end of the flat tube is fluidly coupled to a manifold that fluidly couples lower ends of the plurality of condensing channels. 
     
     
         27 . A thermosiphon cooling device including:
 a condenser section including a plurality of condensing channels arranged to receive evaporated liquid and arranged to transfer heat from the evaporated liquid to a surrounding environment to condense the evaporated liquid to a liquid which flows downwardly in the condensing channels, wherein the condenser section includes first and second panels that sandwich a channel-defining member so as to form the plurality of condenser channels, the first and second panels defining a lower manifold that fluidly connects lower ends of the condenser channels.   
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the first and second panels define an upper manifold that fluidly connects upper ends of the condenser channels. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the channel-defining member additionally defines a vapor supply channel. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29 , wherein the vapor supply channel is located between sets of condensing channels. 
     
     
         31 . A thermosiphon cooling device including:
 an evaporator section including a tube with an axially extending separation wall within the tube to separate at least one evaporation channel having an inlet and an outlet from a liquid return path for delivering condensed liquid to the at least one evaporation channel, the axially extending wall having a bottom end that is positioned away from a lower end of the tube and defining the inlet for the at least one evaporation channel.   
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein the tube defines a condenser section. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein an inner surface of the tube has fins or channels at the at least one evaporation channel. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 33 , wherein the inner surface includes fins or channels at the liquid return path, and the fins or channels at the at least one evaporation channel are different from the fins or channels at the liquid return path. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein the tube has upper and lower sections, the evaporator section being located at the lower section of the tube, the device further comprising a condenser section at the upper section of the tube.