US4450896A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for heat exchange at solid surfaces
Assignee: Siemens AG
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Filing: 1982-09-07
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Granted: 1984-05-29
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Expires: 2002-09-07
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a method and apparatus for heat exchange, especially for cooling at solid surfaces. At the solid surfaces, a locally uniform convective heat exchange is achieved. According to the invention, a sink flow is superimposed on a circular flow of a fluid in a flow chamber (1) at a surface of a heat-conducting solid wall (9) by means of a distributor, forming a vortex sink flow. The heat exchange surface of the component (9) to be cooled is at the same time the base plate (8) of a flow chamber (1).
Inventors
- 👤 Heinrich Opitz
- 👤 Bernhard Montag
- 👤 Gerd Urban
- 👤 Wilfried Turk
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 04:29
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28C; F28C3/00; F28C3/005; F28F; F28F13/00; F28F13/06; F28F3/00; F28F3/12; F28F9/00; F28F9/02; F28F9/026; H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/40; H10W40/47; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S165/00; Y10S165/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for conducting heat from a solid surface, comprising the steps of: feeding a fluid coolant into a flow chamber through at least one flow inlet, said flow chamber being in thermal contact with said solid surface; moving said coolant along a substantially spiral path in said flow chamber from said inlet to at least one flow outlet; and controlling the velocity of said coolant along said spiral path to produce a predetermined boundary layer thickness distribution along said path, thereby controlling the rate at which heat is transferred at various points on the portion of said solid surface in thermal contact with said flow chamber.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for conducting heat from a solid surface, comprising the steps of: feeding a fluid coolant into a flow chamber through at least one flow inlet, said flow chamber being in thermal contact with said solid surface; moving said coolant along a substantially spiral path in said flow chamber from said inlet to at least one flow outlet; and controlling the velocity of said coolant along said spiral path to produce a predetermined boundary layer thickness distribution along said path, thereby controlling the rate at which heat is transferred at various points on the portion of said solid surface in thermal contact with said flow chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the step of controlling the velocity of said coolant is implemented by varying the flow cross-section along said spiral path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method defined in claim 2 wherein said flow chamber is defined by a base plate and a lid facing said base plate, the step of varying the flow cross section along said spiral path being implemented by shaping said lid and said base plate to vary the distance therebetween along said spiral path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method defined in claim 3 wherein said lid has a conical shape.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method defined in claim 4 wherein said flow inlet is located at the periphery of said flow chamber and said flow outlet is located substantially at the center of said flow chamber, said lid being closer to said base at said flow outlet than at the periphery of said flow chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method defined in claim 3 wherein said lid has a funnel shape.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for conducting heat from a solid surface, comprising the steps of: feeding a fluid coolant into a flow chamber through at least one flow inlet at an outer periphery of said flow chamber, said flow chamber being in thermal contact with said solid surface; guiding said coolant in a circular path at the outer periphery of said flow chamber; and increasing the velocity of said coolant as it moves along a substantially spiral path from the periphery of said flow chamber to a flow outlet substantially at the center of said flow chamber, thereby producing a vortex sink flow which equalizes the rate of heat absorption over the area of said solid surface in thermal contact with said flow chamber.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for conducting heat from a solid surface, comprising the steps of: feeding a fluid coolant into a flow chamber through at least one flow inlet at an outer periphery of said flow chamber, said flow chamber being in thermal contact with said solid surface; guiding said coolant in a circular path at the outer periphery of said flow chamber; and increasing the velocity of said coolant as it moves along a substantially spiral path from the periphery of said flow chamber to a flow outlet substantially at the center of said flow chamber, thereby producing a vortex sink flow which equalizes the rate of heat absorption over the area of said solid surface in thermal contact with said flow chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method defined in claim 7 wherein the step of increasing the velocity of coolant flow is implemented by decreasing the cross-section of the flow.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein the step of guiding said coolant in a circular path at the outer periphery of said flow chamber is accomplished at least in part by tangentially feeding said coolant into said flow chamber, whereby the vortex sink flow is maintainable in a steady state condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method difined in claim 9 wherein said coolant is fed into said flow chamber at a plurality of flow inlets.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of distributing said coolant to said plurality of flow inlets from a common distribution feed point.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 11 wherein said flow chamber has an at least partially conical lid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method defined in claim 12, used for cooling electrical and electronic components.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method defined in claim 8, wherein the spiral flow of said coolant from the periphery of said flow chamber to said flow outlet is located in a flow plane defined by said flow chamber, said flow outlet comprising a heat-insulated discharge extending substantially perpendicularly to said flow plane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 14 wherein said flow chamber has an at least partially conical lid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method defined in claim 15 wherein said discharge and said lid are provided with thermal insulation layers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein said flow chamber has a circular transverse cross-section.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 17 wherein said flow chamber has an at least partially conical lid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein said flow chamber has a polygonal transverse cross-section.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 19 wherein said flow chamber has an at least partially conical lid.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein said flow chamber has at least partially conical lid.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method defined in claim 4, used for cooling electrical and electronic components.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method defined in claim 8 wherein said flow chamber is defined in part by a base plate forming a heat-exchanging surface in thermal contact with said solid surface.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-05-29 | 1987-11-28 | 1988-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-05-29 | 1991-11-28 | 1992-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-05-29 | 1995-11-28 | 1996-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |