Systems and methods for cooling an electronic device
An apparatus for cooling an electronic device is disclosed. In an aspect, the apparatus includes a vapor chamber coupled to a heat generating component of the electronic device. In an aspect, the vapor chamber is coupled to an inner surface of an outer cover of the electronic device and conforms to a shape of the inner surface of the outer cover. In another aspect, the vapor chamber forms the outer cover of the electronic device. The vapor chamber comprises a sealed container, a wick structure disposed on an inner surface of the sealed container, and a fluid contained in the sealed container, wherein as heat is applied to an evaporator side of the sealed container coupled to the heat generating component, the fluid vaporizes over a condenser side of the sealed container opposite the evaporator side and returns to the evaporator side via the wick structure.
1. An electronic device having a front outside cover and a back outside cover coupled to the front outside cover, the electronic device comprising:
a heat generating component; and
a vapor chamber comprising:
a sealed container enclosing a cavity and having an evaporator side on one side of the cavity and a condenser side opposite the evaporator side, on an opposite side of the cavity;
a wick structure disposed on an inner surface of the sealed container; and
a fluid contained in the sealed container, wherein:
the evaporator side of the sealed container is coupled to the heat generating component;
the heat generating component is located between the vapor chamber and the front outside cover;
the back outside cover has an inner surface;
the condenser side of the sealed container conforms to a shape of the inner surface of the back outside cover;
the condenser side of the sealed container is thermally coupled to the inner surface of the back outside cover;
the fluid comprises water;
an atmospheric pressure in the vapor chamber is below one (1) atmosphere of pressure to enable the water to vaporize at a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius; and
as heat is generated by the heat generating component, the fluid vaporizes on the evaporator side, through the cavity, over to the condenser side of the sealed container and returns to the evaporator side of the sealed container via the wick structure.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the condenser side of the sealed container is thermally coupled to the inner surface of the back outside cover via a thermally conductive interface.
3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the condenser side of the sealed container is coupled, via the thermally conductive interface, to less than an entirety of the inner surface of the back outside cover.
4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the condenser side of the sealed container is coupled, via the thermally conductive interface, to an entirety of the inner surface of the back outside cover.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sealed container is aluminum or copper and the back outside cover is polymer.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat generating component comprises a chip package, an imaging sensor, or a power amplifier.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the device is one of a camera, a cell phone, a wearable device, and an Internet of Things (IoT) device.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wick structure comprises sintered copper powder, a fibrous material, carbon fiber, copper or aluminum mesh, or grooves on the inner surface of the sealed container.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat generating component is thermally coupled to the vapor chamber via a thermally conductive interface.
10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the evaporator side of the sealed container of the vapor chamber is greater than or equal to a surface area of the heat generating component.
11. An electronic device having a front outside cover and a back outside surface opposite the front outside cover, the electronic device comprising:
a heat generating component; and
a vapor chamber comprising:
a sealed container enclosing a cavity and having an evaporator side on one side of the cavity and a condenser side opposite the evaporator side, on an opposite side of the cavity;
a wick structure disposed on an inner surface of the sealed container; and
a fluid contained in the sealed container, wherein:
the evaporator side of the sealed container is coupled to the heat generating component;
the heat generating component is located between the vapor chamber and the front outside cover;
the front outside cover is coupled to the sealed container;
the condenser side of the sealed container forms the back outside surface of the electronic device; and
as heat is generated by the heat generating component, the fluid vaporizes on the evaporator side, through the cavity, over to the condenser side of the sealed container and returns to the evaporator side of the sealed container via the wick structure.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the sealed container is aluminum, copper, or polymer.
13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the heat generating component comprises a chip package, an imaging sensor, or a power amplifier.
14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises water, alcohol, or methanol.
15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the device is one of a camera, a cell phone, a wearable device, and an Internet of Things (IoT) device.
16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the wick structure comprises sintered copper powder, a fibrous material, carbon fiber, copper or aluminum mesh, or grooves on the inner surface of the sealed container.
17. An electronic device having a front outside cover and a back outside cover coupled to the front outside cover, the electronic device comprising:
a cooling means coupled to a heat generating means of the electronic device, wherein the cooling means comprises:
a sealed container enclosing a cavity and having an evaporator side on one side of the cavity and a condenser side opposite the evaporator side, on an opposite side of the cavity;
a wicking means disposed on an inner surface of the sealed container; and
a fluid contained in the sealed container, wherein:
the evaporator side of the sealed container is coupled to the heat generating means;
the condenser side of the sealed container conforms to a shape of the back outside cover of the electronic device;
the fluid comprises water;
an atmospheric pressure in the cooling means is below one (1) atmosphere of pressure to enable the water to vaporize at a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius; and
as heat is generated by the heat generating means, the fluid vaporizes on the evaporator side, through the cavity, over to the condenser side of the sealed container and returns to the evaporator side of the sealed container via the wicking means.
18. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the back outside cover comprises multiple sections including walls that surround at least a part of the vapor chamber.
19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the condenser side of the sealed container is thermally coupled, via a thermally conductive interface, to multiple sections, including the walls, of the inner surface of the back outside cover.
20. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wick structure is disposed only on the inner surface of the sealed container.