abstract |
A passive cooling unit for integrated electronics in form of flat-plate heat-pipe device having a shallow cavity base member, a cover plate, and a lanced-offset fin member and associated porous metal wick material sandwiched therebetween, the fin member being braced to the base member and cover plate to provide structural support and also being coated with the wick material. The resultant flat-plate heat-pipe device, when formed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or titanium, results in a passive cooling device that is lightweight, structurally strong, and of low cost manufacture. |