Information handling system housing thermal conduit interfacing rotationally coupled housing portions
A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a main housing portion through a graphite cable to a lid housing portion that rejects the thermal energy to the external environment. The graphite cable has plural graphite elements vertically stacked with adhesive and exposed at each end as plural coupling points that each independently couple to a thermal device in the main and lid housing portions, such as a heat sink or vapor chamber.
1. An information handling system comprising:
a main housing portion;
a lid housing portion;
one or more hinges rotationally coupling the main housing portion and the lid housing portion;
plural processing components disposed in the main housing portion and operable to process information;
a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images;
a thermal sink thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the thermal sink operable to absorb thermal energy of the one or more processing components;
a thermal exchanger disposed in the lid housing portion and operable to reject the thermal energy; and
a thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the thermal conduit comprising plural layers of graphite coupled with adhesive between each layer to form a single cable, the single cable terminating at opposing ends with the plural layers of graphite separating into independent elements, each independent element having an independent thermal coupling to the thermal sink and the thermal exchanger.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the lid housing portion has a rectangular shape with four sides and a perimeter;
the thermal exchanger integrates with the lid housing portion around the perimeter; and
the thermal conduit forms four paths in the lid housing portion, each path proceeding to the thermal exchanger at one side of the perimeter.
3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the thermal exchanger comprises a vapor chamber integrated in the lid housing portion.
4. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the thermal exchanger comprises a copper film integrated into the lid housing portion at the perimeter, the copper film coupled to the lid housing portion, the lid housing portion rejecting the thermal energy from an outer surface.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the thermal conduit further comprises at least a portion of the plural layers of graphite rolled about a central axis for at least 360 degrees.
6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the thermal conduit rolled portion forms a cable that passes through an opening formed in the hinge.
7. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the thermal conduit rolled portion forms a spring between the lid and main portion, spring loosening as the lid housing portion rotates relative to the main housing portion from a closed to an open configuration.
8. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a vapor chamber disposed in the main housing portion and thermally coupled to each layer of the thermal conduit;
an actuator interfaced with the vapor chamber and changing a pressure within the vapor chamber to adjust a saturation point of the vapor chamber; and
a controller interfaced with the actuator to manage the vapor chamber pressure based at least in part upon a temperature sensed at the lid housing portion.
9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the temperature sensed at the lid housing portion further comprises a temperature of a display integrated in the lid housing portion.
10. A method for transferring thermal energy between rotationally coupled information handling system housing portions, the method comprising:
connecting plural individual elements of a thermal conduit to plural separate locations of a first thermal device, the first thermal device thermally coupled to a processor at a first of the information handling system housing portions;
integrating the plural individual elements into a single cable at a first distance from the first thermal device plural separate locations;
passing the single cable to a second of the information handling system housing portions;
separating the plural individual elements apart at a second distance from a second thermal device;
connecting the plural individual elements of the thermal conduit to plural separate locations of the second thermal device disposed in the second of the information handling system housing portions; and
transferring the thermal energy from the first thermal device to the second thermal device through the cable.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plural individual elements comprise copper wires.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the plural individual elements comprise graphite layers.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein integrating the plural individual elements into a single cable further comprises:
vertically stacking the graphite layers; and
coupling the stacked graphite layers with adhesive between each layer.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising rolling the vertically stacked layers around a central axis.
15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
changing a thermal characteristic of at least one of the first and second thermal devices; and
in response to the changing, transferring the thermal energy from the second thermal device to the first thermal device.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the thermal devices comprises a vapor chamber and the thermal characteristic comprises a saturation point within the vapor chamber.
17. A system for thermal management of a portable information handling system, the system comprising:
a first thermal device configured to couple to a processor in a main housing portion, the first thermal device absorbing thermal energy from the processor;
a second thermal device distal the first thermal device and configured to reject the thermal energy; and
a thermal conduit having plural graphite films vertically stacked to form a cable, the plural graphite films separating into independent elements at each end of the cable, each independent element independently coupling to the first and second thermal devices to transfer the thermal energy from the first to the second thermal devices.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the second thermal device comprises a vapor chamber configured to couple in a lid housing portion proximate a display.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein the first thermal device comprises a vapor chamber configured to couple to the processor, the system further comprising a controller operable to adapt the pressure of the vapor chambers to reverse the transfer direction of the thermal energy.
20. The system of claim 17 wherein second thermal device comprises a lid housing portion having an outer surface exposed to reject the thermal energy.