Self-organizing thermodynamic system
View Patent ↗Disclosed are thermal management for electronic devices and, more particularly, to a thermodynamic system with bi-phase fluid circuits which self-organize internal fluid movement to transfer heat from heat absorption zones to heat dissipation zones. A thermodynamic system may include a plurality of thermal energy absorption (TEA) nodes disposed adjacent to one or more heat sources which are interconnected with one another and also a plurality of thermal energy dissipation (TED) nodes through a capillary system that encloses a bi-phase fluid. As TE is absorbed into the bi-phase fluid at individual TEA nodes local condition changes such as, for example, pressure and/or volume increases induce convection of the absorbed TE away from the individual TEA nodes. As TE dissipates from the bi-phase fluid at individual TED nodes local condition changes such as, for example, pressure and/or volume decreases further induce convection of additional absorbed TE toward the individual TED nodes.
1. A thermodynamic system comprising:
one or more housing structures;
a plurality of thermal energy absorption (TEA) nodes disposed in the one or more housing structures;
a plurality of thermal energy dissipation (TED) nodes disposed in the one or more housing structures; and
a plurality of capillaries that connect individual TEA nodes of the plurality of TEA nodes with one or more TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes,
wherein the plurality of capillaries, the plurality of TEA nodes, and the plurality of TED nodes form an interconnected closed fluid circuit that:
encloses a bi-phase fluid, and
is configured to absorb thermal energy into the bi-phase fluid at the plurality of TEA nodes and to transfer the thermal energy via the bi-phase fluid through the plurality of capillaries to the plurality of TED nodes, and
wherein, in the interconnected closed fluid circuit:
at least one of the individual TEA nodes is directly connected via the plurality of capillaries to two or more TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes, and
the plurality of capillaries does not directly connect the individual TEA nodes to any other TEA node of the plurality of TEA nodes.
2. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the interconnected closed fluid circuit is configured to transfer the thermal energy through the plurality of capillaries from the plurality of TEA nodes to the plurality of TED nodes in a self-organized manner based on local conditions at individual ones of at least one of the plurality of TEA nodes and the plurality of TED nodes.
3. The thermodynamic system of claim 2 , wherein the local conditions include at least one of a temperature, a pressure, or a state of the bi-phase fluid.
4. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the interconnected closed fluid circuit is configured such that a first portion of the bi-phase fluid vaporizes into a vapor when the bi-phase fluid absorbs the thermal energy at the plurality of TEA nodes, and at least one of a pressure or a volume of the vapor pushes a second portion of the bi-phase fluid through the plurality of capillaries toward the plurality of TED nodes.
5. The thermodynamic system of claim 4 , wherein the interconnected closed fluid circuit is configured such that the first portion of the bi-phase fluid condenses from the vapor to a fluid upon dissipation of the thermal energy at the plurality of TED nodes, and the fluid is forced through the plurality of capillaries toward the plurality of TEA nodes.
6. The thermodynamic system of claim 4 , wherein the interconnected closed fluid circuit is configured such that the plurality of TEA nodes cool as the bi-phase fluid absorbs the thermal energy, causing a reduction of the at least one of the pressure or the volume and thereby causing oscillation of the bi-phase fluid back toward the plurality of TEA nodes.
7. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of capillaries, the plurality of TEA nodes, and the plurality of TED nodes have a wick structure configured to draw a liquid fraction of the bi-phase fluid toward one or more TEA nodes of the plurality of TEA nodes by a capillary force at an interface between the liquid fraction and a vapor fraction of the bi-phase fluid.
8. The thermodynamic system of claim 7 , wherein the wick structure is further configured to draw the vapor fraction of the bi-phase fluid to flow towards the one or more TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes, in an opposite direction than the liquid fraction.
9. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capillaries of the interconnected closed fluid circuit indirectly connects the individual TEA nodes to at least one other TEA node of the plurality of TEA nodes via an intermediate TED node of the plurality of TED nodes.
10. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capillaries of the interconnected closed fluid circuit at least indirectly connects each of the individual TEA nodes to all of the TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes and creates a flow path for the bi-phase fluid from each of the individual TEA nodes to all of the TED nodes.
11. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of TEA nodes and the plurality of TED nodes are fractioned into different zones.
12. The thermodynamic system of claim 11 , wherein individual ones of the plurality of TEA nodes or the plurality of TED nodes within a first zone of the different zones are not connected to any other TEA node or TED node within the first zone.
13. The thermodynamic system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of TEA nodes are fractioned into a first TEA zone located at a first position associated with first thermal energy source, and a second TEA zone located at a second position associated with second thermal energy source.
14. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capillaries are channels embedded within the one or more housing structures.
15. The thermodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more housing structures include one or more TEA sinks at which the plurality of TEA nodes are disposed, and one or more TED sinks at which the plurality of TED nodes are disposed.
16. The thermodynamic system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more TEA sinks are separated from the one or more TED sinks, and the plurality of capillaries include flexible tubes extending between the one or more TEA sinks and the one or more TED sinks.
17. An interconnected closed fluid circuit comprising:
a plurality of thermal energy absorption (TEA) nodes disposed in one or more housing structures;
a plurality of thermal energy dissipation (TED) nodes disposed in the one or more housing structures;
a plurality of capillaries that connect individual TEA nodes of the plurality of TEA nodes with one or more TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes; and
a bi-phase fluid that absorbs thermal energy at the plurality of TEA nodes and transfers the thermal energy through the plurality of capillaries to the plurality of TED nodes,
wherein at least one of the individual TEA nodes is directly connected via the plurality of capillaries to two or more TED nodes, of the plurality of TED nodes, in the interconnected closed fluid circuit, and
wherein the plurality of capillaries does not directly connect the individual TEA nodes to any other TEA node of the plurality of TEA nodes in the interconnected closed fluid circuit.
18. The interconnected closed fluid circuit of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of capillaries are configured to allow the bi-phase fluid to transfer the thermal energy from the plurality of TEA nodes to the plurality of TED nodes in a self-organized manner based on local conditions at individual ones of at least one of the plurality of TEA nodes and the plurality of TED nodes.
19. The interconnected closed fluid circuit of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of capillaries:
at least indirectly connects each of the individual TEA nodes to all of the TED nodes of the plurality of TED nodes, and
creates a flow path for the bi-phase fluid from each of the individual TEA nodes to all of the TED nodes.
20. The interconnected closed fluid circuit of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of capillaries indirectly connects the individual TEA nodes to at least one other TEA node of the plurality of TEA nodes via an intermediate TED node of the plurality of TED nodes.