Three-dimensional heat pipe
US5921315A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF28D15/0275
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A heat pipe heat exchanger is provided in the form of a serpentine heat pipe that does not have the ends of the individual tubes manifolded to one another via a straight pipe or via any other common connector. Instead, it has been discovered that heat pipes connected via U-bends to form a continuous coil function adequately. The serpentine heat pipe may include integral condenser and evaporator portions separated by a divider to form a one-slab heat exchanger, or separate evaporator and condenser coils connected to one another by vapor and return lines to form a two-section heat pipe. The heat pipe heat exchanger may be formed in a continuous closed-loop pipe so that the heat exchanger can operate with or without the aid of gravitational effects. A method of producing a serpentine heat pipe includes providing a plurality of U-shaped tubes which are interconnected to form a single serpentine heat pipe, one of the tubes having an open end, and inserting sufficient refrigerant in the one tube to allow each of the tubes to function as a separate heat pipe. The serpentine heat pipe heat exchanger may be used to increase the dehumidification capacity of an air conditioner.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.