MONOLITHIC STRUCTURALLY COMPLEX HEAT SINK DESIGNS
A heat sink includes a base and a heat exchange element coupled to the base. The heat exchange element includes a foam structure that is coupled to the base.
1 . A heat sink, comprising:
a base; and
a heat exchange element comprising a foam structure coupled to the base.
2 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange element is monolithically coupled to the base.
3 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange element includes vertical fins to form a fin-foam structure.
4 . The heat sink as recited in claim 3 , wherein a distance between two adjacent fins is equal to a unit cell width of the foam structure.
5 . The heat sink as recited in claim 3 , wherein a unit cell width of the foam structure is smaller than a distance between two adjacent fins.
6 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure is pseudo-random.
7 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure includes one or more heat transfer elements configured in unit cells.
8 . The heat sink as recited in claim 7 , wherein the unit cells have three-dimensional periodicity.
9 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure is configured to provide a path for air flow through the heat sink, and further wherein the path is an unobstructed path.
10 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure is configured to provide a path for air flow through the heat sink, and further wherein the path is a tortuous path.
11 . The heat sink as recited in claim 10 , wherein a mean path of the tortuous path is about parallel to the base.
12 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure is configured to provide paths for air flow through the heat sink, and further wherein the paths include a combination of at least one unobstructed path and one tortuous path.
13 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure is a periodic foam structure.
14 . The heat sink as recited in claim 13 , wherein the periodic foam structure has an arrangement selected from the group consisting of:
a body-centered cubic (BCC) arrangement;
a face-centered cubic (FCC) arrangement; and
an A15 lattice arrangements arrangement.
15 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure includes fractal geometries, plates or spikes projecting from a horizontal or vertical plate thereof to increase surface area for heat exchange.
16 . The heat sink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam structure has a surface that at least partially bounds first and second paths through the heat exchange element.
17 . A method comprising:
providing a sacrificial heat sink pattern comprising:
a base form; and
a heat exchange element form comprising a foam structure coupled to the base; and
providing the sacrificial heat sink pattern to an investment casting process to form a monolithic heat sink.
18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the heat exchange element form includes vertical fins to form a fin-foam structure form.
19 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the foam structure form is configured to provide a path for air flow through the heat sink, and further wherein the path is a tortuous path.
20 . The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising the step of forming said heat sink using stereolithography.