Development of a Compensation Chamber for Use in a Multiple Condenser Loop Heat Pipe

Abstract

We report the design and analysis of a novel compensation chamber for use in PHUMP, a multiple condenser loop heat pipe (LHP) capable of dissipating 1000 W. The LHP is designed for integration into a high performance air-cooled heat sink to address thermal management challenges in advanced electronic systems. The compensation chamber is integrated into the evaporator of the device and provides a region for volumetric expansion of the working fluid over a range of operating temperatures. Additionally, the compensation chamber serves to set the liquid side pressure of the device, preventing both flooding of the condensers and dry out of the evaporator. The compensation chamber design was achieved through a combination of computational simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics and models developed based on experimental work of previous designs. The compensation chamber was fabricated as part of the evaporator using Copper and Monel sintered wicks with various particle sizes to achieve the desired operating characteristics. Currently, the compensation chamber is being incorporated into a multiple condenser LHP for a high performance air-cooled heat sink. Copyright © 2013 by ASME.