A Reciprocating-Mechanism Driven Heat Loop for High Heat-Flux Thermal Management

A heat transfer device which employs a solenoid-operated reciprocating mechanism for driving liquid from the condenser section to the evaporator section is described. The heat transfer device is coined as the reciprocating-mechanism driven heat loop, which includes a hollow loop having an interior flow passage, an amount of working fluid filled within the loop, and a solenoid-operated reciprocating driver. The hollow loop has an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a liquid reservoir. The reciprocating driver is integrated with the liquid reservoir and facilitates a reciprocating flow of the working fluid within the loop, so that liquid is supplied from the condenser section to the evaporator section under a substantially saturated condition and the so-called cavitation problem associated with a conventional pump is avoided. Experimental study has been undertaken for a proof-of-concept solenoid-operated heat loop for high heat flux thermal management applications. Experimental results show that the heat loop worked very effectively and a heat flux as high as 300 W/cm² in the evaporator section could be handled. A working criterion has also been derived, which provides a guidance for the design of a reciprocating-mechanism driven heat loop.