Gravimetric vapor chamber and heat pipe charging utilizing radiant heating

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a thermal management device includes radiantly heating an unsealed chamber of the thermal management device that is filled with a working fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a thermal management device, the method comprising:
 radiantly heating an unsealed chamber of the thermal management device that is filled with a working fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , radiantly heating the unsealed chamber including directing a heat lamp at a body of the thermal management device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising weighing the thermal management device and working fluid while radiantly heating the unsealed chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring a temperature of the thermal management device while radiantly heating the unsealed chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , measuring the temperature including imaging the thermal management device with a thermal camera. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , measuring the temperature of the thermal management device including measuring a surface temperature of a coating with known emissivity on the thermal management device. 
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing a thermal management device, the method comprising:
 vaporizing a working fluid from a chamber in a body of a thermal management device;   weighing the body and working fluid during vaporization; and   closing the chamber to seal the working fluid in the body.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , vaporizing the working fluid including radiantly heating the body. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , weighing the body including measuring a mass of the body and working fluid with at least a 0.01 g resolution. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , weighing the body including measuring a mass of the body and working fluid with at least a 10 Hertz frequency. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , closing the chamber including welding a portion of the body. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , closing the chamber including directing a laser at a portion of the body. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , vaporizing the working fluid including heating the body to an atmospheric saturation temperature of the working fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising closing the chamber when the working fluid in the chamber is at a vaporization temperature of the working fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , vaporizing the working fluid including lowering an ambient air pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , lowering the ambient air pressure including lowering a pressure inside a housing surrounding a plurality of chambers of thermal management devices. 
     
     
         17 . A system for manufacturing a thermal management device, the system comprising:
 a fixture for supporting a body of the thermal management device;   a mass-weighing device configured to measure a mass of the body supported by the fixture; and   a radiant heat source positioned to direct radiant thermal energy toward the body supported by the fixture.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a vacuum chamber over the fixture to lower a pressure around the fixture. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , the radiant heat source being a plurality of heat lamps. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , the mass weighing device having a precision of 1.0 milligram.