Non-metallic vapor chambers

1. A non-metallic vapor chamber, comprising:

a non-metallic housing defining a closed internal volume, wherein the non-metallic housing comprises at least one of a thermoplastic material or a thermosetting material and has a thermal conductivity of approximately 1 Watt per meter per Kelvin or less;

a composite wick structure disposed within the internal volume and filling the internal volume, the composite wick structure providing structural rigidity to the non-metallic housing and comprising:

a liquid permeable hydrophilic first wick portion; and

a vapor permeable hydrophobic second wick portion.

2. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 :

wherein the non-metallic housing comprises at least a first location and a second location;

wherein the hydrophilic first wick portion provides a continuous path from the first location to the second location of the non-metallic housing; and

wherein the hydrophobic second wick portion provides a continuous path from the first location to the second location of the non-metallic housing.

3. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a sealed housing.

4. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a hermetically sealed housing.

5. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material or the thermosetting material comprises a thermoplastic material having a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than about 2 g-mil/100 in 2 per 24 hours.

6. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the non-metallic housing comprises a thermoplastic material including at least one of: high density polyethylene, polypropylene, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

7. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the non-metallic housing comprises a material transparent to radio frequency (RF) signals.

8. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the first wick portion comprises a structure that includes at least one of: a sintered particle material, a ribbed material, a grooved material, or a pillared material.

9. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 8 wherein the first wick portion comprises a structure at least partially coated with at least one hydrophilic material.

10. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 wherein the second wick portion comprises a structure that includes at least one of: a sintered particle material, a ribbed material, a grooved material, or a pillared material.

11. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 10 wherein the second wick portion comprises a structure at least partially coated with at least one hydrophobic material.

12. The non-metallic vapor chamber of claim 1 , the vapor permeable hydrophobic second wick portion to transport a vaporized fluid from a first location within the internal volume of the vapor chamber to a second location within the internal volume of the vapor chamber; and

the liquid permeable hydrophilic first wick portion to transport a condensed fluid from the second location in the internal volume of the vapor chamber to the first location in the internal volume of the vapor chamber.

13. A method of transferring heat from a component via a non-metallic vapor chamber, the method comprising:

flowing, via a composite wick structure, a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic vapor chamber housing that defines a closed internal volume, that comprises at least one of a thermoplastic material or a thermosetting material, and that has a thermal conductivity of approximately 1 Watt per meter per Kelvin or less, the composite wick structure filling the closed internal volume, providing a structural support to the non-metallic vapor chamber housing, and including:

a first wick portion that includes a liquid permeable hydrophilic material; and

a second wick portion that includes a vapor permeable hydrophobic material;

vaporizing, at the second location, at least a portion of the condensed liquid;

flowing, via the second wick portion, at least a portion of the vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location; and

condensing at least a portion of the vaporized liquid at the first location.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing, via a composite wick structure, a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic vapor chamber housing, the composite wick structure providing a structural support to the non-metallic vapor chamber housing comprises:

flowing, via the composite wick structure, the condensed liquid from the first location to the second location in the non-metallic vapor chamber housing, the composite wick structure filling the closed internal volume of the non-metallic vapor chamber housing.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic housing comprises:

flowing, via the first wick portion, the condensed liquid from the first location to the second location, the first wick portion including at least one of: a sintered particle material, a ribbed material, a grooved material, or a pillared material.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic housing comprises:

flowing, via the first wick portion, the condensed liquid from the first location to the second location, the first wick portion including a substrate at least partially covered by a layer of hydrophilic material.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic housing comprises:

flowing, via the first wick portion, the condensed liquid from the first location to the second location in the non-metallic housing comprising a hermetically sealed, non-metallic, housing.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing at least a portion of the vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location comprises:

flowing, via the second wick portion, the vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location, the second wick portion including at least one of: a sintered particle material, a ribbed material, a grooved material, or a pillared material.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein flowing at least a portion of the vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location comprises:

flowing, via the second wick portion, the vaporized liquid from the first location to the second location, the second wick portion including a substrate at least partially covered by a layer of hydrophobic material.

20. A system for transferring heat from a component via a non-metallic vapor chamber, the system comprising:

a non-metallic housing defining a vapor chamber having a closed internal volume, the non-metallic housing comprising at least one of a thermoplastic material or a thermosetting material and having a thermal conductivity of approximately 1 Watt per meter per Kelvin or less;

a wicking means for internally structurally supporting the non-metallic housing, the wicking means filling the closed internal volume of the defined vapor chamber and comprising:

a means for flowing a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in the non-metallic housing; and

a means for flowing a vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location in the non-metallic housing.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the wicking means for internally structurally supporting the non-metallic housing defining the vapor chamber comprises:

a means for continuously internally structurally supporting the non-metallic housing defining the vapor chamber.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for flowing a condensed liquid from a first location to a second location in a non-metallic housing comprises:

a hydrophilic material means for flowing the condensed liquid from the first location to the second location in the non-metallic housing.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the means for flowing a vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location in the non-metallic housing comprises:

a hydrophobic material means for flowing the vaporized liquid from the second location to the first location in the non-metallic housing.