Jul 28, 2026

US12696424 - Passive, porous, phase-change cold plate

A cold plate is disclosed for cooling electronics within a missile. The cold plate includes a housing enclosing a compartment. An outlet manifold is inside the compartment. A wick is inside the compartment and is adjacent to the outlet manifold. A liquid inlet is fluidically connected to the wick. A vapor outlet fluidically connects the outlet manifold to atmosphere or space.

Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
Inventors: James D. Saraidaridis, Malcolm P. MacDonald, Robert M. Darling, Craig H. McCordic, James S. Wilson
Filing date: 2023-04-10

This patent describes a cold plate designed for cooling electronics in missiles, featuring a housing with a compartment that includes liquid and vapor manifolds, a wick, and a collapsible liquid reservoir. The elastic liner in the reservoir expands when filled, exerting pressure to facilitate liquid flow into the manifold.

Claim 1

1 . A cold plate for cooling a heat source, the cold plate comprising: a housing enclosing a compartment; a liquid manifold inside the compartment; a vapor manifold inside the compartment; a wick forming an interface between the liquid manifold and the vapor manifold; an inlet fluidically connected with the liquid manifold; an outlet fluidically connecting the vapor manifold to atmosphere or space; and a liquid reservoir fluidically connected to the liquid inlet, wherein the liquid reservoir comprises an elastic liner that is collapsible and fluidically connected to the liquid inlet, and wherein the elastic liner is configured to: expand when filled with liquid; exert pressure on the liquid; and force the liquid into the liquid manifold. a housing enclosing a compartment; a liquid manifold inside the compartment; a vapor manifold inside the compartment; a wick forming an interface between the liquid manifold and the vapor manifold; an inlet fluidically connected with the liquid manifold; an outlet fluidically connecting the vapor manifold to atmosphere or space; and a liquid reservoir fluidically connected to the liquid inlet, wherein the liquid reservoir comprises an elastic liner that is collapsible and fluidically connected to the liquid inlet, and wherein the elastic liner is configured to: expand when filled with liquid; exert pressure on the liquid; and force the liquid into the liquid manifold. expand when filled with liquid; exert pressure on the liquid; and force the liquid into the liquid manifold.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12696424

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12696424