An apparatus comprising a heater configured to heat smokeable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokeable material, wherein the heater is elongate and comprises a plurality of independently controllable heating regions arranged sequentially along a longitudinal axis of the heater.

Heating smokeable material

The apparatus is a heat pipe with superior heat transfer between the heat pipe and the heat source and heat sink. The heat pipe is held tightly against the heat source by mounting holes which penetrate the structure of the heat pipe but are sealed off from the vapor chamber because they each are located within a sealed structure such as a pillar or the solid layers of the casing surrounding the vapor chamber. Another feature of the heat pipe is the use of more highly heat conductive material for only that part of the wick in the region which contacts the heat source, so that there is superior heat conductivity in that region.

Integrated circuit heat pipe heat spreader with through mounting holes

A heat pipe heat spreader is provided having a substantially L-shaped enclosure with an internal surface and a plurality of post projecting from the surface. A working fluid is disposed within the enclosure, and a grooved wick is formed on at least a portion of the internal surface. The grooved wick includes a plurality of individual particles having an average diameter, and including at least two lands that are in fluid communication with one another through a particle layer disposed between the at least two lands that comprises less than about six average particle diameters. A method for making a grooved heat pipe wick on an inside surface of a heat pipe container a layer of sintered powder between adjacent grooves that comprises no more than about six average particle diameters.

Vapor chamber with sintered grooved wick

A composite wick structure of a heat pipe includes wick structure fabricated from a woven mesh and sintered powder. The woven mesh is attached to an internal sidewall of a tubular member, while the sintered powder is coated on at least one side of the internal sidewall. By the better capillary force provided by the sintered powder, the liquid-phase working fluid can reflow to the bottom of the heat pipe quickly to enhance the heat transmission efficiency. Further, the problems of poor capillary effect of the woven mesh and the problems caused by usage of an axial rod during the process of applying sintered powder can be resolved.

Wick structure of heat pipe

A capillary structure for a heat transfer device, such as a heat pipe is provided having a plurality of particles joined together by a brazing compound such that fillets of the brazing compound are formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of particles and one or more vapor vents are defined in the capillary structer. In this way, a network of capillary passageways are formed between the particles and vapor-vents through the capillary structure so as to aid in the transfer of working fluid by capillary action, while the plurality of fillets provide enhanced thermal transfer properties between the plurality of particles so as to greatly improve over all heat transfer efficiency of the device. A method of making the capillary structure according to the invention is also presented.

Heat transfer device and method of making same

A new method for making a sintered metal heat pipe wick is practiced by mixing nickel powder into a slurry with a viscous binder comprising water. Polyox and Methocel. The mixture is then injected inside a rotating stainless steel cylindrical heat pipe container, or pipe, to completely coat the inside surface of the pipe. The rotational rate of the pipe is then increased to force the slurry to level out to a uniform depth set by the thickness of sleeves attached at each end of the pipe. Forced air is then blown through the inside of the rotating pipe to dry the slurry and form a green wick. After stopping rotation of the pipe, it is then heated inside a sintering oven in a reducing atmosphere to disintegrate the binder and leave a sintered metal final composition of the wick. Thus produced wicks prevent "hot spots" because they have a more uniform thickness and are attached more evenly and securely than prior art heat pipe wicks to the inside walls of the heat pipe container.

Method of manufacturing heat pipe wicks

A new method for making a heat pipe wick and arteries includes drilling. Radial holes around the circumference of the heat pipe container at its ends and stringing monofilament polymer lines inside the container between corresponding holes. The container is rotated at a slow rate while a slurry of nickel powder mixed into a viscous binder of water, Polyox and Methocel is injected inside the container to cover the inside surface of the container and the lines. The rotational rate of the container is then increased to force the slurry to level out to an uniform depth set by the thickness of sleeves attached at each end of the container. Forced air is blown through the inside of the rotating pipe to dry the slurry and form a green wick. After stopping rotation of the pipe, it is then heated inside a sintering oven in a reducing atmosphere to disintegrate the binder and polymer lines and to leave a sintered metal wick having hollow longitudinal arteries.

Jerry E. Beam

Papers

Method of manufacturing heat pipe wicks

Method of manufacturing heat pipe wicks and arteries