KR-20260065938-A - Fiber membrane-based cooling system and method

Abstract

A fiber membrane-based cooling system and method are described. An exemplary cooling device comprises a fiber membrane, wherein a first side of the cooling device is thermally connected to a heat source and a second side of the cooling device is thermally connected to a heat sink, and the fiber membrane is disposed between the first side and the second side. The fiber membrane of the cooling device comprises a plurality of fibers forming a three-dimensional network of pores, thereby enabling a cooling medium to flow through it and transfer heat from the heat source to the heat sink.

Inventors

• 첸 렌쿤
• 장 하오웬
• 차이 셍치앙
• 펭 티안시

Assignees

• 더 리젠츠 오브 더 유니버시티 오브 캘리포니아

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20240916

Priority Date

20230915

Claims (20)

1. As a cooling device: A fiber membrane comprising a plurality of fibers forming a three-dimensional network of pores, wherein The first side of the above-mentioned cooling device is thermally connected to a heat source, and The second side of the above-mentioned cooling device is thermally connected to a heat sink, and The fiber membrane is disposed between the first side and the second side, and A cooling device in which a three-dimensional network of the above pores allows a cooling medium to flow through it and transfer heat from the heat source to the heat sink.
2. A cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the fiber membrane is supported.
3. In paragraph 2, The substrate is located between the heat source and the fiber membrane; and A cooling device in which the fiber membrane is thermally connected to the heat source through the substrate.
4. In paragraph 2, the cooling device comprises a substrate including a thermally conductive material.
5. A cooling device according to paragraph 2, wherein the substrate comprises a microchannel configured to facilitate heat absorption of the cooling medium from the heat source.
6. A cooling device according to paragraph 2, wherein at least a portion of the substrate comprises a hydrogel coating.
7. In paragraph 1, The fiber membrane has an average pore size in the range of 100 nanometers to 20 micrometers, or A cooling device having a fiber membrane with a thickness of less than 10 micrometers.
8. A cooling device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fibers of the fiber membrane comprise a coating of a first thermally conductive material or a second thermally conductive material.
9. In paragraph 1, The plurality of fibers of the fiber membrane comprises glass, ceramic, polymer, metal, or alloy material, or A cooling device comprising a plurality of fibers including a hydrogel coating.
10. A cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium comprises water, glycol, Fluorinert electronic liquid, or a refrigerant.
11. A cooling device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cooling medium can undergo a first phase change from a first phase to a second phase by absorbing heat from the heat source.
12. A cooling device according to claim 11, wherein the first phase is a liquid phase and the second phase is a vapor phase.
13. A cooling device according to claim 11, wherein the heated cooling medium is configured to flow from the first side toward the second side through the fiber membrane, which is at least partially driven by capillary force generated by the pores between the fibers of the fiber membrane.
14. A cooling device according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the cooling medium can undergo a second phase change from the second phase to the first phase by transferring heat to the heat sink.
15. A cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling medium conduit through which the cooling medium flows from the second side of the cooling device toward the first side of the cooling device.
16. A cooling device according to claim 15, wherein the cooling medium conduit and the fiber membrane constitute part of a closed cooling medium circuit in which the cooling medium circulates within the cooling device.
17. A cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a pump configured to drive the cooling medium to flow within the cooling device.
18. In paragraph 1, the heat source is a cooling device comprising an electronic device or a part thereof.
19. In paragraph 1, the cooling device is a cooling device that is clothing, personal protective equipment, or part thereof.
20. In paragraph 1, A cooling device further comprising a condenser configured to condense the cooling medium by facilitating heat transfer from the cooling medium to the heat sink, or a compressor configured to increase the pressure of the condensed cooling medium.

Description

Fiber membrane-based cooling system and method Statement regarding federally sponsored research This invention was carried out with government support under Project No. CMMI1762560 granted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The U.S. government holds specific rights to this invention. Cross-reference to related application(s) This application claims priority to provisional application No. 63/583,139, titled “Passive evaporator comprising a nanofiber membrane,” filed on September 15, 2023. The full contents of the aforementioned provisional application are incorporated by reference as part of the disclosure of this document. Technology field This document relates to a cooling system and method including a fiber membrane. In various fields, there are cooling requirements for devices containing one or more heat-generating components. These fields encompass electronic devices, wearable and/or foldable technologies, and other devices or systems. Examples include computing devices, data centers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, mobile phones/tablets (including foldable versions), and similar heat-generating equipment. One aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a cooling device. The cooling device comprises a fiber membrane. A first side of the cooling device is thermally connected to a heat source. A second side of the cooling device is thermally connected to a heat sink. A fiber membrane is disposed between the first side and the second side. The fiber membrane comprises a plurality of fibers forming a three-dimensional network of pores, allowing the cooling medium to flow through it and transfer heat from the heat source to the heat sink when the cooling medium vaporizes in the fiber membrane. Another aspect of the disclosed technology relates to a cooling method. The cooling method comprises the steps of: flowing a cooling medium through a fiber membrane of a cooling device from a first side toward a second side of a cooling device; vaporizing the cooling medium within the fiber membrane by absorbing heat from a heat source that is in thermal contact with the cooling device at the first side while flowing; and removing heat from the cooling medium to a heat sink on the second side of the cooling device that is in thermal contact with a heat sink at the second side. The fiber membrane comprises a plurality of fibers forming a three-dimensional network of pores. In some embodiments, heat removal is achieved by condensing the cooling medium vaporized in a condenser. The cooling medium can be pumped autonomously through capillary pressure formed at the gas-liquid interface within small pores in the fiber membrane (i.e., a passive pumping device). Alternatively, the cooling medium can be driven by a pump (i.e., active pumping). In both cases, the vapor is condensed in the condenser, and the condensed liquid forms a closed loop by returning to the fiber membrane for evaporation via capillary pumping or external pumping. Further aspects of the disclosed technology relate to a wearable or foldable object comprising a cooling device disclosed herein. Further aspects of the disclosed technology relate to an electronic device comprising a heat generating component and a cooling device disclosed herein. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of evaporation from different types of membranes and an SEM image of an exemplary fiber membrane having three-dimensional (3D) interconnected open pores. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic representation of a system according to some embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIGS. 3a and FIGS. 3b illustrate schematic representations of a passive pumping and an active pumping cooling device according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology, respectively. FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a cooling process according to some embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 5 illustrates the shapes of glass fiber (GF) membranes (AD) having five different average pore sizes: (a) 3.2 micrometers; (b) 4.8 micrometers; (c) 5.3 micrometers; (d) 6.1 micrometers; and (e) 11.4 micrometers. FIG. 6 illustrates (a) permeability as a function of average pore size and (b) capillary pressure measured as a function of average pore size of the GF membrane exemplified in FIG. 5. Figure 7 illustrates the evaporation experiment and results of the GF membrane exemplified in Figure 5. FIG. 8 illustrates a comparison of CHF values between various membranes having isolated pores and fiber membranes having 3D interconnected open pores according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 9 illustrates the results of a long-term stability test using a fiber membrane according to some embodiment of the disclosed technology and the shape of the fiber membrane after the long-term stability test. FIG. 10 illustrates a procedure for manufacturing a GF membrane according to some embodiment of the disclosed technology. FIG. 11 illustrates a facility for testing the maximum tensile strength of a GF mem