text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 3, 2004
|Filing date
|Jun 28, 2002
|Priority date
|Jun 28, 2002
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|George Getz, Jr., Thomas W. Burkett
|Original Assignee
|Advanced Energy Technology Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (92), Classifications (20), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates to a heat sink capable of managing the heat from a heat source such as an electronic device.
With the development of more and more sophisticated electronic devices, including those capable of increasing processing speeds and higher frequencies, having smaller size and more complicated power requirements, and exhibiting other technological advances, such as microprocessors and integrated circuits in electronic and electrical components and systems as well as in other devices such as high power optical devices, relatively extreme temperatures can be generated. However, microprocessors, integrated circuits and other sophisticated electronic components typically operate efficiently only under a certain range of threshold temperatures. The excessive heat generated during operation of these components can not only harm their own performance, but can also degrade the performance and reliability of the overall system and can even cause system failure. The increasingly wide range of environmental conditions, including temperature extremes, in which electronic systems are expected to operate, exacerbates the negative effects of excessive heat.
With the increased need for heat dissipation from microelectronic devices, thermal management becomes an increasingly important element of the design of electronic products. Both performance reliability and life expectancy of electronic equipment are inversely related to the component temperature of the equipment. For instance, a reduction in the operating temperature of a device such as a typical silicon semiconductor can correspond to an increase in the processing speed, reliability and life expectancy of the device. Therefore, to maximize the life-span and reliability of a component, controlling the device operating temperature within the limits set by the designers is of paramount importance.
Several types of heat dissipating components are utilized to facilitate heat dissipation from electronic devices. The present invention is directly applicable to finned heat sinks.
These heat sinks facilitate heat dissipation from the surface of a heat source, such as a heat-generating electronic device, to a cooler environment, usually air. The heat sink seeks to increase the heat transfer efficiency between the electronic device and the ambient air primarily by increasing the surface area that is in direct contact with the air or other heat transfer media. This allows more heat to be dissipated and thus lowers the electronic device operating temperature. The primary purpose of a heat dissipating component is to help maintain the device temperature below the maximum allowable temperature specified by its designer/manufacturer.
Typically, the heat sinks are formed of a metal, especially copper or aluminum, due to the ability of metals like copper to readily absorb heat and transfer it about its entire structure. Copper heat sinks are often formed with fins or other structures to increase the surface area of the heat sink, with air being forced across or through the fins (such as by a fan) to effect heat dissipation from the electronic component, through the copper heat sink and then to the air.
The use of copper or aluminum heat dissipating elements can present a problem because of the weight of the metal, particularly when the heat transmitting area of the heat dissipating component is significantly larger than that of the electronic device. For instance, pure copper weighs 8.96 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) and pure aluminum weighs 2.70 g/cm3.
For example, in many applications, several heat sinks need to be arrayed on, e.g., a circuit board to dissipate heat from a variety of components on the board. If metallic heat sinks are employed, the sheer weight of the metal on the board can increase the chances of the board cracking or of other equally undesirable effects, and increases the weight of the component itself. For portable electronic devices, any method to reduce weight while maintaining heat dissipation characteristics is especially desirable.
Another group of materials suitable for use in heat sinks are those materials generally known as graphites, but in particular graphites such as those based on natural graphites and flexible graphite as described below. These materials have a high thermal conductivity in the plane of the sheet of material of 370 W/m� K. This is higher than either aluminum (200 W/m� K) or copper (360 W/m� K). Also, the graphite materials are much lighter in weight and thus provide many advantages over copper or aluminum.
Graphites are made up of layer planes of hexagonal arrays or networks of carbon atoms. These layer planes of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms are substantially flat and are oriented or ordered so as to be substantially parallel and equidistant to one another. The substantially flat, parallel equidistant sheets or layers of carbon atoms, usually referred to as graphene layers or basal planes, are linked or bonded together and groups thereof are arranged in crystallites. Highly ordered graphites consist of crystallites of considerable size: the crystallites being highly aligned or oriented with respect to each other and having well ordered carbon layers. In other words, highly ordered graphites have a high degree of preferred crystallite orientation. It should be noted that graphites possess anisotropic structures and thus exhibit or possess many properties that are highly directional e.g. thermal and electrical conductivity and fluid diffusion.
Briefly, graphites may be characterized as laminated structures of carbon, that is, structures consisting of superposed layers or laminae of carbon atoms joined together by weak van der Waals forces. In considering the graphite structure, two axes or directions are usually noted, to wit, the "c" axis or direction and the "a" axes or directions. For simplicity, the "c" axis or direction may be considered as the direction perpendicular to the carbon layers. The "a" axes or directions may be considered as the directions parallel to the carbon layers or the directions perpendicular to the "c" direction. The graphites suitable for manufacturing flexible graphite sheets possess a very high degree of orientation.
As noted above, the bonding forces holding the parallel layers of carbon atoms together are only weak van der Waals forces. Natural graphites can be treated so that the spacing between the superposed carbon layers or laminae can be appreciably opened up so as to provide a marked expansion in the direction perpendicular to the layers, that is, in the "c" direction, and thus form an expanded or intumesced graphite structure in which the laminar character of the carbon layers is substantially retained.
Graphite flake which has been greatly expanded and more particularly expanded so as to have a final thickness or "c" direction dimension which is as much as about 80 or more times the original "c" direction dimension can be formed without the use of a binder into cohesive or integrated sheets of expanded graphite, e.g. webs, papers, strips, tapes, foils, mats or the like (typically referred to as "flexible graphite"). The formation of graphite particles which have been expanded to have a final thickness or "c" dimension which is as much as about 80 times or more the original "c" direction dimension into integrated flexible sheets by compression, without the use of any binding material, is believed to be possible due to the mechanical interlocking, or cohesion, which is achieved between the voluminously expanded graphite particles.
In addition to flexibility, the sheet material, as noted above, has also been found to possess a high degree of anisotropy with respect to thermal and electrical conductivity and fluid diffusion, comparable to the natural graphite starting material due to orientation of the expanded graphite particles and graphite layers substantially parallel to the opposed faces of the sheet resulting from very high compression, e.g. roll pressing. Sheet material thus produced has excellent flexibility, good strength and a very high degree of orientation.
Briefly, the process of producing flexible, binderless anisotropic graphite sheet material, e.g. web, paper, strip, tape, foil, mat, or the like, comprises compressing or compacting under a predetermined load and in the absence of a binder, expanded graphite particles which have a "c" direction dimension which is as much as about 80 or more times that of the original particles so as to form a substantially flat, flexible, integrated graphite sheet. The expanded graphite particles that generally are worm-like or vermiform in appearance, once compressed, will maintain the compression set and alignment with the opposed major surfaces of the sheet. The density and thickness of the sheet material can be varied by controlling the degree of compression. The density of the sheet material can be within the range of from about 0.04 g/cm3 to about 2.0 g/cm3. The flexible graphite sheet material exhibits an appreciable degree of anisotropy due to the alignment of graphite particles parallel to the major opposed, parallel surfaces of the sheet, with the degree of anisotropy increasing upon roll pressing of the sheet material to increase orientation. In roll pressed anisotropic sheet material, the thickness, i.e. the direction perpendicular to the opposed, parallel sheet surfaces comprises the "c" direction and the directions ranging along the length and width, i.e. along or parallel to the opposed, major surfaces comprises the "a" directions and the thermal, electrical and fluid diffusion properties of the sheet are very different, by orders of magnitude, for the "c" and "a" directions.
There is a continuing need for improved heat sink designs which provide relatively low thermal resistance and relatively low weight as compared to prior designs.
The present invention provides a finned heat sink constructed from anisotropic graphite material, wherein the heat sink is made from alternating longer and shorter sheets of graphite material, which sheets are sandwiched together such that the longer sheets extend beyond the shorter sheets to define the fins of the heat sink apparatus.
Preferably, the longer and shorter sheets have their base ends aligned together to define a generally planar base surface for engaging an electronic device to be cooled by the heat sink apparatus.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the longer and shorter sheets are each constructed from laminated resin-impregnated graphite sheet material, and the resin of the resin-impregnated material provides sufficient adhesive characteristics to bond the alternating longer and shorter sheets together to form the heat sink apparatus.
Also, a copper bar may be inserted in the base, transverse to the plane of the sheets, to spread heat from the heat source to all of the fins.
A thermal management apparatus includes a heat sink like that just described in conjunction with an electronic heat source having a heat transfer surface defined thereon and in heat transfer engagement with the planar base surface of the heat sink apparatus.
In another aspect of the invention a method of manufacturing such a heat sink apparatus is provided, which method includes the steps of:
(a) forming a plurality of shorter and longer pieces of graphite material;
(b) assembling the shorter and longer pieces so that base ends of the pieces are aligned together to define a generally planar base surface, and so that the longer pieces extend beyond the shorter pieces to define fins extending in a direction away from the base surface; and
(c) applying pressure to the pieces in a direction across a thickness of the pieces to bond the pieces together.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heat sink design for thermal management of electronic devices.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of a finned heat sink apparatus constructed from alternating longer and shorter sheets of graphite material which are sandwiched together so that the longer sheets extend beyond the shorter sheets to define fins of the heat sink apparatus.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of a heat sink apparatus formed of graphite sheets all having their directions of higher thermal conductivity directed substantially perpendicularly away from a base surface of the heat sink apparatus so as to rapidly direct heat energy away from the device being cooled.
Other and further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a heat sink constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevation section view taken along line 2—2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of an alternative embodiment including a heat spreader in the base.
FIG. 4 is an elevation section view taken along line 4—4 of FIG. 3.
As noted, the heat sinks of the present invention are constructed from graphite sheet material. Before describing the construction of the heat sinks, a brief description of graphite and its formation into flexible sheets is in order.
Preparation of Flexible Graphite Sheet
Graphite is a crystalline form of carbon comprising atoms covalently bonded in flat layered planes with weaker bonds between the planes. By treating particles of graphite, such as natural graphite flake, with an intercalant of, e.g. a solution of sulfuric and nitric acid, the crystal structure of the graphite reacts to form a compound of graphite and the intercalant. The treated particles of graphite are hereafter referred to as "particles of intercalated graphite." Upon exposure to high temperature, the intercalant within the graphite decomposes and volatilizes, causing the particles of intercalated graphite to expand in dimension as much as about 80 or more times its original volume in an accordion-like fashion in the "c" direction, i.e. in the direction perpendicular to the crystalline planes of the graphite. The exfoliated graphite particles are vermiform in appearance, and are therefore commonly referred to as worms. The worms may be compressed together into flexible sheets that, unlike the original graphite flakes, can be formed and cut into various shapes.
Graphite starting materials suitable for use in the present invention include highly graphitic carbonaceous materials capable of intercalating organic and inorganic acids as well as halogens and then expanding when exposed to heat. These highly graphitic carbonaceous materials most preferably have a degree of graphitization of about 1.0. As used in this disclosure, the term "degree of graphitization" refers to the value g according to the formula:
where d(002) is the spacing between the graphitic layers of the carbons in the crystal structure measured in Angstrom units. The spacing d between graphite layers is measured by standard X-ray diffraction techniques. The positions of diffraction peaks corresponding to the (002), (004) and (006) Miller Indices are measured, and standard least-squares techniques are employed to derive spacing which minimizes the total error for all of these peaks. Examples of highly graphitic carbonaceous materials include natural graphites from various sources, as well as other carbonaceous materials such as graphite prepared by chemical vapor deposition, high temperature pyrolysis of polymers, or crystallization from molten metal solutions and the like. Natural graphite is most preferred.
The graphite starting materials used in the present invention may contain non-graphite components so long as the crystal structure of the starting materials maintains the required degree of graphitization and they are capable of exfoliation. Generally, any carbon-containing material, the crystal structure of which possesses the required degree of graphitization and which can be exfoliated, is suitable for use with the present invention. Such graphite preferably has a purity of at least about eighty weight percent. More preferably, the graphite employed for the present invention will have a purity of at least about 94%. In the most preferred embodiment, the graphite employed will have a purity of at least about 98%.
A common method for manufacturing graphite sheet is described by Shane et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,061, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the typical practice of the Shane et al. method, natural graphite flakes are intercalated by dispersing the flakes in a solution containing e.g., a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid, advantageously at a level of about 20 to about 300 parts by weight of intercalant solution per 100 parts by weight of graphite flakes (pph). The intercalation solution contains oxidizing and other intercalating agents known in the art. Examples include those containing oxidizing agents and oxidizing mixtures, such as solutions containing nitric acid, potassium chlorate, chromic acid, potassium permanganate, potassium chromate, potassium dichromate, perchloric acid, and the like, or mixtures, such as for example, concentrated nitric acid and chlorate, chromic acid and phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid, or mixtures of a strong organic acid, e.g. trifluoroacetic acid, and a strong oxidizing agent soluble in the organic acid. Alternatively, an electric potential can be used to bring about oxidation of the graphite. Chemical species that can be introduced into the graphite crystal using electrolytic oxidation include sulfuric acid as well as other acids.
In a preferred embodiment, the intercalating agent is a solution of a mixture of sulfuric acid, or sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid, and an oxidizing agent, i.e. nitric acid, perchloric acid, chromic acid, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, iodic or periodic acids, or the like. Although less preferred, the intercalation solution may contain metal halides such as ferric chloride, and ferric chloride mixed with sulfuric acid, or a halide, such as bromine as a solution of bromine and sulfuric acid or bromine in an organic solvent.
The quantity of intercalation solution may range from about 20 to about 350 pph and more typically about 40 to about 160 pph. After the flakes are intercalated, any excess solution is drained from the flakes and the flakes are water-washed. Alternatively, the quantity of the intercalation solution may be limited to between about 10 and about 40 pph, which permits the washing step to be eliminated as taught and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,713, the disclosure of which is also herein incorporated by reference.
The particles of graphite flake treated with intercalation solution can optionally be contacted, e.g. by blending, with a reducing organic agent selected from alcohols, sugars, aldehydes and esters which are reactive with the surface film of oxidizing intercalating solution at temperatures in the range of 25� C. and 125� C. Suitable specific organic agents include hexadecanol, octadecanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, decylalcohol, 1, 10 decanediol, decylaldehyde, 1-propanol, 1,3 propanediol, ethyleneglycol, polypropylene glycol, dextrose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, potato starch, ethylene glycol monostearate, diethylene glycol dibenzoate, propylene glycol monostearate, glycerol monostearate, dimethyl oxylate, diethyl oxylate, methyl formate, ethyl formate, ascorbic acid and lignin-derived compounds, such as sodium lignosulfate. The amount of organic reducing agent is suitably from about 0.5 to 4% by weight of the particles of graphite flake.
The use of an expansion aid applied prior to, during or immediately after intercalation can also provide improvements. Among these improvements can be reduced exfoliation temperature and increased expanded volume (also referred to as "worm volume"). An expansion aid in this context will advantageously be an organic material sufficiently soluble in the intercalation solution to achieve an improvement in expansion. More narrowly, organic materials of this type that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, preferably exclusively, may be employed. Carboxylic acids have been found especially effective. A suitable carboxylic acid useful as the expansion aid can be selected from aromatic, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, straight chain or branched chain, saturated and unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids and polycarboxylic acids which have at least 1 carbon atom, and preferably up to about 15 carbon atoms, which is soluble in the intercalation solution in amounts effective to provide a measurable improvement of one or more aspects of exfoliation. Suitable organic solvents can be employed to improve solubility of an organic expansion aid in the intercalation solution.
Representative examples of saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids are acids such as those of the formula H(CH2)nCOOH wherein n is a number of from 0 to about 5, including formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, pentanoic, hexanoic, and the like. In place of the carboxylic acids, the anhydrides or reactive carboxylic acid derivatives such as alkyl esters can also be employed. Representative of alkyl esters are methyl formate and ethyl formate. Sulfuric acid, nitric acid and other known aqueous intercalants have the ability to decompose formic acid, ultimately to water and carbon dioxide. Because of this, formic acid and other sensitive expansion aids are advantageously contacted with the graphite flake prior to immersion of the flake in aqueous intercalant. Representative of dicarboxylic acids are aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having 2-12 carbon atoms, in particular oxalic acid, fumaric acid, malonic acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, 1,5-pentanedicarboxylic acid, 1,6-hexanedicarboxylic acid, 1,10-decanedicarboxylic acid, cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and aromatic dicarboxylic acids such as phthalic acid or terephthalic acid. Representative of alkyl esters are dimethyl oxylate and diethyl oxylate. Representative of cycloaliphatic acids is cyclohexane carboxylic acid and of aromatic carboxylic acids are benzoic acid, naphthoic acid, anthranilic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, salicylic acid, o-, m- and p-tolyl acids, methoxy and ethoxybenzoic acids, acetoacetamidobenzoic acids and, acetamidobenzoic acids, phenylacetic acid and naphthoic acids. Representative of hydroxy aromatic acids are hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid, 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 4-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 5-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid, 5-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid and 7-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid. Prominent among the polycarboxylic acids is citric acid.
The intercalation solution will be aqueous and will preferably contain an amount of expansion aid of from about 1 to 10%, the amount being effective to enhance exfoliation. In the embodiment wherein the expansion aid is contacted with the graphite flake prior to or after immersing in the aqueous intercalation solution, the expansion aid can be admixed with the graphite by suitable means, such as a V-blender, typically in an amount of from about 0.2% to about 10% by weight of the graphite flake.
After intercalating the graphite flake, and following the blending of the intercalant coated intercalated graphite flake with the organic reducing agent, the blend is exposed to temperatures in the range of 25� to 125� C. to promote reaction of the reducing agent and intercalant coating. The heating period is up to about 20 hours, with shorter heating periods, e.g., at least about 10 minutes, for higher temperatures in the above-noted range. Times of one half hour or less, e.g., on the order of 10 to 25 minutes, can be employed at the higher temperatures.
The thus treated particles of graphite are sometimes referred to as "particles of intercalated graphite." Upon exposure to high temperature, e.g. temperatures of at least about 160� C. and especially about 700� C. to 1000� C. and higher, the particles of intercalated graphite expand as much as about 80 to 1000 or more times their original volume in an accordion-like fashion in the c-direction, i.e. in the direction perpendicular to the crystalline planes of the constituent graphite particles. The expanded, i.e. exfoliated, graphite particles are vermiform in appearance, and are therefore commonly referred to as worms. The worms may be compressed together into flexible sheets that, unlike the original graphite flakes, can be formed and cut into various shapes.
Flexible graphite sheet and foil are coherent, with good handling strength, and are suitably compressed, e.g. by roll pressing, to a thickness of about 0.075 mm to 3.75 mm and a typical density of about 0.1 to 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3). From about 1.5-30% by weight of ceramic additives can be blended with the intercalated graphite flakes as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,762 (which is incorporated herein by reference) to provide enhanced resin impregnation in the final flexible graphite product. The additives include ceramic fiber particles having a length of about 0.15 to 1.5 millimeters. The width of the particles is suitably from about 0.04 to 0.004 mm. The ceramic fiber particles are non-reactive and non-adhering to graphite and are stable at temperatures up to about 1100� C., preferably about 1400� C. or higher. Suitable ceramic fiber particles are formed of macerated quartz glass fibers, carbon and graphite fibers, zirconia, boron nitride, silicon carbide and magnesia fibers, naturally occurring mineral fibers such as calcium metasilicate fibers, calcium aluminum silicate fibers, aluminum oxide fibers and the like.
The flexible graphite sheet can also, at times, be advantageously treated with resin and the absorbed resin, after curing, enhances the moisture resistance and handling strength, i.e. stiffness, of the flexible graphite sheet as well as "fixing" the morphology of the sheet. Suitable resin content is preferably less than about 60% by weight, more preferably less than about 35% by weight, and most preferably from about 4% to about 15% by weight. Resins found especially useful in the practice of the present invention include acrylic-, epoxy- and phenolic-based resin systems, or mixtures thereof. Suitable epoxy resin systems include those based on diglycidyl ether or bisphenol A (DGEBA) and other multifunctional resin systems; phenolic resins that can be employed include resole and novolak phenolics.
The longer and shorter graphite sheets used to construct the heat sinks described below are preferably constructed from a laminated resin impregnated graphite material in the manner set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/943,131, filed Aug. 31, 2001 of Norley et al. entitled "LAMINATES PREPARED FROM IMPREGNATED FLEXIBLE GRAPHITE SHEETS", assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the details of which are incorporated herein by reference.
According to the Norley et al. process, flexible graphite sheets prepared as described above and having a thickness of about 4 mm to 7 mm are impregnated with a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy, acrylic or phenolic resin system. Suitable epoxy resins include diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin systems; other multifunctional epoxy resins systems are also suitable for use in the present invention. Suitable phenolic resin systems include those containing resole and novolak resins. The sheets are then calendered to a thickness of about 0.35 mm to 0.5 mm, at which time the calendered, epoxy impregnated flexible mats have a density of about 1.4 g/cm3 to about 1.9 g/cm3.
The amount of resin within the epoxy impregnated graphite sheets should be an amount sufficient to ensure that the final assembled and cured layered structure is dense and cohesive, yet the anisotropic thermal conductivity associated with a densified graphite structure has not been adversely impacted. Suitable resin content is preferably at least about 3% by weight, more preferably from about 5% to about 35% by weight depending on the characteristics desired in the final product.
In a typical resin impregnation step, the flexible graphite sheet is passed through a vessel and impregnated with the resin system from, e.g. spray nozzles, the resin system advantageously being "pulled through the mat" by means of a vacuum chamber. Typically, but not necessarily, the resin system is solvated to facilitate application into the flexible graphite sheet. The resin is thereafter preferably dried, reducing the tack of the resin and the resin-impregnated sheet.
One type of apparatus for continuously forming resin-impregnated and calendered flexible graphite sheet is shown in International Publication No. WO 00/64808, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Following the calendering step, the impregnated sheets are cut to suitable-sized pieces which are stacked together and placed in a press, where they are cured at an elevated temperature. The temperature should be sufficient to ensure that the lamellar structure is densified at the curing pressure, improving the anisotropy of the structure and hence its thermal properties as a heat dissipating device. Generally, this will require a temperature of from about 150� C. to 200� C. The pressure employed for curing will be somewhat a function of the temperature utilized, but will be sufficient to ensure that the lamellar structure is densified without adversely impacting the thermal properties of the structure. Generally, for convenience of manufacture, the minimum required pressure to densify the structure to the required degree will be utilized. Such a pressure will generally be from 1000 to 3000 pounds per square inch (psi). The curing time may vary depending on the resin system and the temperature and pressure employed, but generally will range from 0.5 hours to 2 hours. After curing is complete, the composites are seen to have a density of from about 1.8 g/cm3 to 2.0 g/cm3.
Advantageously, the resin present in the impregnated sheets can act as the adhesive for the composite material. Alternatively the calendered, impregnated, flexible graphite sheets are coated with an adhesive before the flexible sheets are stacked and cured. Suitable adhesives include epoxy-, acrylic- and phenolic-based resins. Phenolic resins found especially useful in the practice of the present invention include phenolic-based resin systems including resole and novolak phenolics.
Optionally, non-graphite layers may be included in the pre-pressed stack. Such non-graphite layers may include metals, plastics or other non-metallics such as fiberglass or ceramics. The epoxy polymer in the impregnated graphite sheets is sufficient to, upon curing, adhesively bond the non-graphite as well as the impregnated graphite layers of the structure into place.
The following example is presented to further illustrate and explain the construction of suitable laminated structures and is not intended to be limiting in any regard. Unless otherwise indicated, all parts and percentages are by weight.
Graphite sheets with a weight per unit area of 70 mg/cm2 with dimensions of approximately 30 cm by 30 cm were impregnated with epoxy such that the resulting calendered mats were 12 weight % epoxy. The epoxy employed was a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) elevated temperature cure formulation and the impregnation procedures involved saturation with an acetone-resin solution followed by drying at approximately 80� C. Following impregnation, the sheets were then calendered from a thickness of approximately 7 mm to a thickness of approximately 0.4 mm and a density of 1.63 g/cm3. The calendered, impregnated sheets were then cut into disks with a diameter of approximately 50 mm and the disks were stacked 46 layers high. This stack of disks was then placed in a TMP (Technical Machine Products) press, and cured at 2600 psi at 150� C. for 1 hour. The resultant laminate had a density of 1.90 g/cm3, a flexural strength of 8000 psi, a Young's modules of 7.5 Msi (millions of pounds per square inch) and an in plane resistivity of 6 microhm. The in-plane and through-thickness thermal conductivity values were 396 W/m � K and 6.9 W/m � K, respectively. The laminates exhibited superior machinability, had a continuous pore free surface with a smooth finish and were suitable for use in electronic thermal management devices. The highly anisotropic thermal conductivity resulted in a structure highly adapted for use in piping heat away from sensitive electronics and into a heat sink. In addition, the density of the material, approximately 1.94 g/cm3, is considerably below aluminum (2.7 g/cm3) and much less than copper (8.96 g/cm3). Thus, the specific thermal conductivity (that is, the ratio of thermal conductivity to density) of the graphite laminate is about three times that of aluminum and about four to six times that of copper.
The laminated graphite materials suitable for use with the present invention are not limited to those specific ones described above, and may for example include a laminate comprised of layers of pyrolytic graphite sheet such as that manufactured by Matsushita Electric Components Co., Ltd. Ceramic Division, 1006 Kadoma, Osaka, Japan under the trade name Panasonic "PGS"� Graphite Sheet.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat sink apparatus is shown and generally designated by the numeral 10. In the elevation view of FIG. 2, the heat sink apparatus 10 is shown assembled with an electronic device 12 which is to be cooled, and the combination of the heat sink apparatus 10 and the electronic device 12 may be referred to as a thermal management apparatus.
The heat sink apparatus 10 is constructed from alternating longer sheets 14A-I, and shorter sheets 16A-H, which are sandwiched together such that the longer sheets 14 extend beyond the shorter sheets 16 to define fins.
The sheets 14 and 16 all have their base ends such as 18 aligned together to define a generally planar base surface 20.
The terms longer and shorter as used herein are used to refer to the height of the sheets above the base plane 20. For example, as seen in FIG. 2, the longer fins 14 have a longer length 22 as contrasted to the shorter fins 16 which have a shorter length 24.
Thus the longer sheets 14 extend beyond the shorter sheets 16 by a fin height 26.
The base surface 20 may be described as having a base length 28 and a base width 30 as seen in FIG. 1.
Each of the sheets such as sheet 14A may be described as a planar sheet having a plane defined by its height or length 22 and the base width 30. Each sheet such as sheet 14A may also be described as having a sheet thickness 32 which extends through the plane of the sheet. Similarly, shorter sheet 16A may be described as having a sheet thickness 34 and as having a plane defined by height or length 24 and base width 30.
The electronic device 12 is in thermal heat transfer engagement with the base surface 20. Preferably an interface layer 36 is provided which may be an adhesive, a thermal grease, or a solid thermal interface which may include a thin sheet of flexible graphite material.
The longer and shorter sheets 14 and 16, which alternatively may be referred to as longer and shorter graphite pieces, may each be constructed of laminated resin-impregnated graphite sheet material such as that described above under the heading "Preparation of Laminated Graphite Materials". In constructing the heat sink apparatus 10 through the use of such resin-impregnated laminated graphite materials, the apparatus 10 may be constructed by first forming a plurality of the longer and shorter sheets 14 and 16, then assembling longer and shorter pieces 14 and 16 together in a manner like that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, then applying pressure to the assembled pieces in a direction 38 as indicated in FIG. 1 to bond the pieces 14 and 16 together.
Preferably, when the pieces 14 and 16 are each themselves constructed from laminated resin-impregnated flexible graphite sheet material, the resin already present in the laminated resin-impregnated material provides sufficient adhesive to bond the sheets together, when the same are held together under sufficient pressure, and at sufficient temperature, for appropriate times.
Alternatively, the longer and shorter sheets 14 and 16 may be made of different materials. For example, the longer sheets may be made of pre-cured resin-impregnated graphite material and the shorter sheets may be made from uncured resin-impregnated graphite material. Once the longer and shorter sheets are assembled, they may then be placed in a fixture which applies pressure in the direction of arrows 38, and then the whole assembly is cured under pressure in the fixture in an oven to bond the spacers or shorter pieces 16 to the fins or longer pieces 14.
The sheets or pieces 14 and 16 are constructed from the laminated sheets of flexible graphite material which are oriented such that the directions of relatively high thermal conductivity of each piece are in the plane of the sheet as defined by its height 22 and the base length 30, and so that the axis of relatively low thermal conductivity is oriented through the thickness 32 of the sheet perpendicular to the plane of the sheet.
Thus, when the heat source which is the electrical device 12 is operatively attached to the heat sink apparatus 10, the fins defined by the longer sheets 14A-H conduct the heat generally perpendicularly away from the base surface 20 in a very efficient manner.
The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 just described is best adapted to use with a heat source 12 having a heat transfer area of approximately the same size as the planar base surface 20 of heat sink apparatus 10. Alternatively, if the heat sink apparatus 10 is to have a base surface 20 substantially larger than the heat transfer surface of the electronic device 12, then the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 is preferred.
The following example of the manufacture of heat sink 10 is presented to further illustrate and explain the construction of the heat sink and is not intended to be limiting in any regard.
The fins 14 are manufactured from a laminated cured resin-impregnated graphite material, prepared as described above. The finished fins 14 have a thickness of 0.025 inches. The spacers 16 are manufactured from a single layer of uncured 38 wt. % 4D epoxy, 78 mg/cm2 TG-440 sheet. The individual sheet is calendered to a thickness of approximately 0.032″, corresponding to a density of approximately 1.45 g/cc. The sheets are cut into strips 16 having a height 24 of 10 mm, corresponding to the thickness of the base of the heat sink. After manufacture of the fins 14 and spacers 16, the stack is assembled. The stack is assembled into a steel mold and then compressed to the required length by torquing on the bolts. Steel spacers are used to position the graphite fins and spacers. The steel spacers have holes to accept the bolts that run through the mold. The bolts are torqued to compress the spacer material from its starting thickness of 0.032″ to 0.028″. The bottoms of the fins 14 are dipped in a liquid toughened epoxy adhesive prior to assembly to enhance bonding with the spacers. After assembling and compressing the mold, a layer of 12 wt % epoxy/graphite uncured powder of mesh size −50 mesh, calendered to approximately 1.63 g/cc (sufficient to produce a molded powder layer of approximately 4 mm) is poured into the mold. Steel platens are then placed on top of the powder and the mold placed in a TMP press. A pressure of approximately 1000 psi is applied to the steel platens and the part cured at a temperature of 310� F. for 1 hour (with 1 hour ramp time and 45 minute active cool cycle). The mold is then disassembled to produce a freestanding molded heat sink which may then be machined as desired to provide attachment structures and/or mechanical reinforcement.
In FIGS. 3 and 4, a modified heat sink apparatus is shown and generally designated by the numeral 110. The heat sink apparatus 110 includes a plurality of longer pieces 114A-114I and a plurality of shorter pieces 116A-116H.
In this embodiment, a heat source 112, the plan profile of which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3, has an area substantially less than the base surface 120 of the heat sink apparatus 110, which base surface 120 is defined by base length 128 and base width 130.
In this embodiment, it is necessary to provide a means for transferring heat from the heat source 112 to those longer fins 114 which are not located directly above and in operative engagement with the heat source 112 itself. This is accomplished by using a heat spreader bar 150. As best seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the base ends of the longer and shorter pieces 114 and 116 have an elongated cavity 152 defined therein which extends transversely or perpendicularly to the plane of the sheets of material. The extent of the cavity 152 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3.
The heat spreader bar 150, which is preferably constructed of copper, is closely received within the elongated cavity 152 as seen in FIG. 4. The heat spreader bar 150 may be held within cavity 152 by adhesive or by a heat shrink fit.
Thus heat from the heat source 112 is carried by the heat spreader bar 150 along the base length 128 to each of the longer sheets 114 which comprise the fins of the heat sink apparatus 110.
The electronic device 112 may be described as being in heat transfer engagement with the spreader bar 150, and by means of the spreader bar 150 the electronic device 112 is in heat transfer relationship with the base ends of the longer and shorter pieces 114 and 116. Preferably an interface layer 136 is provided between the electronic device 112 and the heat spreader bar 150, which interface layer 136 may be an adhesive, a thermal grease, or a solid thermal interface which may include a thin sheet of flexible graphite material.
As best seen in FIG. 3, the heat spreader bar has a bar width 154 parallel to the planes of the sheets 114 and 116, and a bar length coincident with sheet base length 128. An uppermost heat transfer surface 158 of the heat source 112 which is seen in plan view in dashed lines in FIG. 3 may be described as having a source width 160 no greater than the bar width 154, and having a source length 162 less than the bar length 128.
Thus it is seen that the apparatus of the present invention readily achieves the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described for purposes of the present disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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|Politecnico Di Milano
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|Marc Alfons Eugeen Peeters
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|Lg Chem, Ltd.
|Battery systems, battery module, and method for cooling the battery module
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|Lg Chem, Ltd.
|Battery systems, battery modules, and method for cooling a battery module
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|Dec 16, 2010
|Specialty Minerals (Michigan) Inc.
|Heat spreader and method of making the same
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|Dec 16, 2010
|Lg Chem Ltd.
|Battery module of high cooling efficiency
|Jun 19, 2009
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|General Electric Company
|Avionics Chassis
|Jun 19, 2009
|Dec 23, 2010
|General Electric Company
|Avionics Chassis
|Jun 19, 2009
|Dec 23, 2010
|General Electric Company
|Avionics Chassis
|Jun 19, 2009
|Dec 23, 2010
|General Electric Company
|Avionics Chassis
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|Jan 20, 2011
|Lemak Richard J
|Anisotropic thermal conduction element and manufacturing method
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|Wah Hong Industrial Corp.
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|Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
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|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 11, 2002
Owner name: GRAFTECH INC., DELAWARE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:GETZ, JR., GEORGE;BURKETT, THOMAS W.;REEL/FRAME:013286/0600
Effective date: 20020903
|Feb 4, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Feb 11, 2008
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jul 14, 2010
Owner name: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, TE
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GRAFTECH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC.;REEL/FRAME:024678/0830
Effective date: 20100428
|Feb 3, 2012
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Feb 3, 2016
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
A Wal-Mart's Closing Shakes a Small Town
Winnsboro, S.C., hopes for a Main Street revival as Supercenter closes
When the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Winnsboro, S.C., closes its doors on Thursday after 17 years as the town's retail linchpin, a handful of locals are hoping there could be a silver lining for the community.
Vacant buildings that once housed a Food Lion grocery store and Goody's department store may now find tenants, said David Stuck, a commercial real-estate broker in Columbia, S.C., who has been trying to fill the buildings for years.
The arrival of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in small towns often drove out smaller stores. "Now that the big gorilla is out of the yard maybe we will have some luck," said Mr. Stuck. "No one wanted to compete with it."
Wal-Mart's presence in the town of about 3,500 people influenced almost every wrinkle of local business since opening in 1998, according to local officials, business owners and residents. It was one of the town's biggest employers and around two-thirds of the town's sales tax came from Wal-Mart purchases, which allowed residents to avoid paying property tax.
The Winnsboro location is one of 154 U.S. outlets Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will shut by Thursday, the first time the retail behemoth has closed more than a handful of domestic stores at once. It is a sign that Wal-Mart will slow store growth as it fights a battle for market share against more nimble discount stores or grocers and online behemoth Amazon.com Inc.
Most of those closing are Walmart Express stores, smaller outlets the company started opening in 2011 to be nearer shoppers' homes and to better compete with dollar and convenience stores. The Winnsboro location is one of 12 Supercenters, the roughly 180,000 square-foot discount outlets that fueled Wal-Mart's growth for decades, that are closing. Wal-Mart operates about 4,500 U.S. stores.
When Wal-Mart opened the store in Winnsboro, it fell in line with the company's longtime real estate strategy of opening in rural, often overlooked areas outside of city centers. Winnsboro sits about 30 miles north of Columbia, S.C., the largest city in the state.
"We never planned on actually going into the cities. What we did instead was build our stores in a ring around a city—pretty far out—and wait for the growth to come to us. That strategy worked practically everywhere," wrote Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton in his 1992 autobiography.
But population growth flowed east and west of Columbia, not north to Winnsboro. "Younger people are moving to more urban areas that have more things to offer than we have in Winnsboro," said Roger Gaddy, a physician and Winnsboro's mayor. A Mack Trucks factory that employed around 1,000 closed in 2002, leaving Wal-Mart as one of the largest employers in town with 160 workers.
Wal-Mart's arrival in Winnsboro in 1998 triggered big changes in the former cotton mill town, say residents. A Belk department store on main thoroughfare closed later the same year.
100 miles

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This month wildfires raged through Colorado and voters took to the ballot box in Greece. Europe's top teams faced off in the Euro 2012 soccer tournament and the planet Venus transited across the Sun.
from Photographers' Blog:
Super Mario
By Kai Pfaffenbach
There were other big names supposed to be the super stars of this Euro 2012 - Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo, Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger, Holland's Robin van Persie or France's Franck Ribery - they have all flown home by now and before the final between Spain and Italy there is only one guy left who will be recognized as the tournament's big star: Mario Balotelli from Italy.
from Photographers' Blog:
Faces of football
By Kacper Pempel
Three weeks of the Euro 2012 adventure are already behind us. Three weeks of hard work, meeting thousands of people, driving thousands of miles and shooting thousands of pictures.
from Photographers' Blog:
On the road at Euro 2012
By Kai Pfaffenbach
As a news photographer working for Reuters in Germany it is quite normal to spend some time in your car. It is not unusual to drive between 3000-5000km per month. So I expected nothing different when coming to Poland for the Euro 2012 covering the soccer matches in Warsaw and Gdansk. During our tournament planning we agreed on traveling in a big van with our team of three photographers and one technician. That seemed a lot easier than spending more time getting all the equipment to an airport than actually flying.
Four times we had to hit the road towards Gdansk and back to Warsaw. About 360km one way shouldn't last longer than 3 to 4 hours. "It's about the ride from Frankfurt to Munich to cover some soccer at Allianz Arena. Entering the highway in Frankfurt and three hours later you take the exit in front of the stadium", I thought to myself. As a matter of fact our trips were different and we experienced quite a few new things on our journey - everything in an absolutely positive way. Even though there's not much of a highway to begin with, we had a lot to see. In retrospect we divided the trip in three parts.
from Photographers' Blog:
A pitch-side soaking
By Yves Herman
Picture five photographers and one technician traveling together between the cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk in Ukraine, at an average of 38 degrees C (100 degrees Fahrenheit) with air humidity of more than 50%. Eastern Ukraine is definitely not a fresh or cool place to stay during this EURO 2012 soccer championships. Nevertheless, it is our job to be there and it is a pure pleasure to be sitting alongside the pitch and taking photos of Europe's best soccer teams. On that journey a cooling rain would have been most appreciated.
from Photographers' Blog:
Soccer and History
By Tony Gentile
It's not the first time I have covered an international sport event and a soccer tournament. I was in Germany for the FIFA world cup in 2006, in Austria and Switzerland for Euro 2008 and now I'm covering Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Every time, I've followed Italy's soccer team. It's a interesting job but sometimes it can be repetitive. You spend about one month with the same people, your photo and text colleagues and the players. Everyday you cover a training session and news conference and travel around the country to cover the matches. C onstantly you have to try to find a different picture as well.
But sometimes something different turns up, in Poland we left soccer briefly and turned to history.
from Photographers' Blog:
It's been a hard day's night… and I've been working like a 'tog
By Darren Staples
You off again?" people say. "Ukraine? The Euros? You've got the best job in the world haven't you?"
from Photographers' Blog:
Shooting practice
Yeah, yeah, yeah 4-1 loss for the Czechs against Russia in Wroclaw. The Russian fans left the city for Warsaw after that and ended up fighting Polish supporters. Wroclaw is calm and quiet. Here the fans like each other and the city center is calm and full of friendly faces. The spotlight moves on, but there is still work to be done.
from Photographers' Blog:
A different approach to Euro 2012
By Kai Pfaffenbach
Being a Reuters photographer means you travel a lot. War zones, disasters or political visits are on your list. By far the most exiting events - for me - are still the big sports events. 2012 offers a nice variety and the Euro 2012 soccer tournament will be an excellent warm up for the Olympic games to follow shortly in London.
from Photographers' Blog:
A game of two other halves
By Eddie Keogh
As part of our photographic coverage of Euro 2012, Darren Staples and myself from England and Michael Dalder from Germany are covering all the group games in Kiev and Lviv in Ukraine. Our first game was between Germany and Portugal last Saturday in Lviv and proved to be a very interesting day.


text:
Which Joe gave his name to 'sloppy joes'? We look at five interesting sandwiches and their lexical origins.
proper noun
A region of coal mining and heavy industry in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is named after the River Ruhr, which flows through it, meeting the Rhine near Duisburg. The Ruhr was occupied by French troops 1923–4, after Germany defaulted on war reparation payments.
Further reading
12 synonyms for foolRead more
Are you looking for a word for a foolish person? We explore twelve interesting words to describe the dunderheads in your life.
6 'run' phrases you probably don't knowRead more
Before you run for the hills, let's run through a list of 'run' expressions that are running through our minds.
How brothers became buddies and brosRead more
The definitions of 'buddy' and 'bro' in the OED have recently been revised. We explore their history and increase in popularity.


text:
Choose the period
Today, I repeatedly had to ask people to please stop groping the mannequins. FML
by WhyMe6495 / 10/06/2013 at 6:28pm / United States (New York) / Work
Today, my new colleagues took me up on my idea of a group night out. Perhaps they'll actually invite me along next time. FML
by Loner_Lou / 10/07/2013 at 6:51pm / United Kingdom (London, City of) / Work
Today, and for the fifth week in a row, my dad has been moping around and acting pissy about everything because his psycho girlfriend won't talk to him. He now claims his life is over. I'm being raised by a teenage girl. FML
by SuperFail55 / 10/01/2013 at 8:33pm / United States (Wisconsin) / Kids
Today, my dad asked me to stop calling him "dad" because it's too weird for his girlfriend's kids to hear, because they call him dad. FML
by meens42 / 09/30/2013 at 4:04am / United States / Kids
Today, after sending in my passport application for a trip to Paris, I got a letter from the state department saying despite them having my original birth certificate, I don't exist. Upon calling them, I was told that it only proves I'm a citizen, not that I exist. I pay taxes and have a mortgage. FML
by Anonymous / 10/11/2013 at 7:45am / United States (Georgia) / Miscellaneous
Today, my parents favoritism towards my brother really shone through when we moved house and he got the nicest and by far biggest room. I wouldn't mind, but my brother is in college overseas and never comes home. FML
by Anonymous / 10/02/2013 at 11:00pm / United States (Illinois) / Miscellaneous
- 1Today, my boyfriend said I didn't give him enough attention because of my busy work life. So… he… 2Today, I was making the daily commute to work when suddenly my mother calls me, crying that there's… 3Today, my boyfriend presented me with a 30-minute montage video of him working out and flexing his…


text:
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Poor growth in regular pay weakens across all sectors
13 August 2014
Commenting on today's labour market statistics, Ian Brinkley, chief economist at Lancaster University's Work Foundation said:
"The Janus-faced labour market recovery continues. We have strong employment numbers, a significant drop in unemployment, and a sharp fall in the number of people in part time jobs who say they would like full time work – which suggests the recovery is at last making in-roads into under-unemployment.
But the wage data is dismal. Growth in regular pay – excluding bonuses - measured by weekly average earnings is weakening across all sectors. Bonus pay was down even more. As a result, total pay measured by weekly annual earnings actually fell by 0.2 percentage points comparing the three months to June 2014 with the same three months a year ago.
It is hard to see where the pay revival is going to come from – and until real wages start to grow again, it will not feel like much of a recovery to most people in work."
Notes to editors
1. Ian Brinkley, chief economist and Geraint Johnes, director, are both available for interviews, blogs, briefings, analysis, and written comment.
2. The Work Foundation transforms people's experience of work and the labour market through high quality applied research that empowers individuals and influences public policies and organisational practices. The Work Foundation is part of Lancaster University – an alliance that enables both organisations to further enhance their impact.
Media enquiries:
Angelo Evangelou 020 7976 3597
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text:
Radio TangoZone - Classic and Nuevo Tango Argentina, Milonga
All classic Tango Argentina hits, Milonga and Tango Nuevo
No schedule available for this radio station.
Radioline gives to users access to more than 60.000 News, Sports, Talk, Music radio stations and podcasts worldwide. The user can easily find and listen to his favorite radio stations, and discover new ones according to his mood, location, musical taste and more!


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Fit Life Articles
Do you feel like you can't lose weight because you have a slow metabolism? Metabolism is a complex process that's affected by more than just what you eat and how much you exercise. There are a number of factors that might be sabotaging your metabolism, and you might not...
Keeping your restaurant encounters to a minimum is one surefire way to ensure that when you go out, you make the most of your meals.
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The Magic Touch "Acappella" Starlight Sessions, Volume 1
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CD Details
- Released: December 12, 2006
- Originally Released: 2006
- Label: Collectables Records
- 1.The Magic Touch (Intro)
- 2.Buzz, Buzz, Buzz
- 3.Take Me As I Am
- 4.Maybe You'll Be There
- 5.I'll Be Forever Loving You
- 6.When My Little Girl Is Smiling
- 7.Would You Care
- 8.My Juanita
- 9.To The Aisle
- 10.Beside My Love
- 11.Medley: Tonight Could Be The Night / Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
- 12.Pennies From Heaven
- 13.Wonderful Girl
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Audio Remasterers: Bob Freed; Richard Bomberowitch.
Recording information: Muzic Complex Studio, Dobbs Ferry, NY; Planet, New Yor, NY.
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Fourth Grade
Learning about fourth grade? This year is all about building fluency with math skills, such as multiplication and division, and strengthening reading comprehension through exposure to a variety of texts. You can get fourth grade help here. These fourth grade resources include worksheets, lesson plans, activities, workbooks, and exercises. For a look ahead, check out our fifth grade learning resources.
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Crazy Story: Summer
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Fourth Grade Reading Practice: Complete the Mystery
This reading worksheet's a good way for 4th graders to boost vocabulary and spelling, and a great tool to get in shape for standardized testing.
Math Riddles: Addition and Subtraction
This fun math worksheet gets kids to solve a tricky riddle while they practice addition and subtraction. Find out why lobsters don't share with this worksheet.
Multiplication Crossword
Have some fun reviewing times tables with this multiplication crossword.
Story Sequencing: Selena's Bicycle
This sequencing worksheet gets kids to put a story together in chronological order. Use this sequencing worksheet to help tell the story of a girl and her bike.
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Verb Tenses: Past, Present, Future
Help your English language learners master effective communication with this lesson, which covers the past, present, and future verb tenses. From reading to writing, kids will get the practice they need to communicate here.
2-Digit Multiplication
Challenge your fourth grader with 2-digit multiplication. Give him a hand practicing multiplying double digits by double digits with this ninja worksheet.
Punctuation: Jack and the Beanstalk
A written passage without punctuation can be very difficult to read! With this worksheet, your child will punctuate this excerpt.
Reading Comprehension: The Kitten
Here's a worksheet that's great for improving reading comprehension skills. Kids read a simple story about a girl and her kitten then answer the question below.
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Use the numbers given and unscramble them to find the answers to the clues provided. Follow each clue to create new six-digit numbers. Practice logical…
Regions of the United States
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Kids practice using quotation marks correctly and identifying words that should be capitalized in this grammar and punctuation worksheet.
The History of Chocolate
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Life Science Crossword: Plant and Animal Cells
Kids learn important plant and animal cell vocabulary as they plug the words into their correct spots and complete the puzzle.
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AARP fights for our veterans. In recent years, AARP has joined with veteran service organizations to help block proposals to cut Social Security benefits and veterans' pensions. And AARP continues to monitor U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rule-making.
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Absolut Blank Edition Mario Wagner Vodka (700ml)
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Continuing the trend that made Absolut a household name, this is their latest instalment featuring the work of German artist Mario Wagner. Well known for his pop art inspired style, his work regularly appears in revered publications such as the New York Times Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.
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'Modern Family' - 'Unplugged': The curious incident of the Gloria in the night-time
A quick review of last night's "Modern Family" coming up just as soon as I check the rat shovel for signs of dog...
When I announced on Monday that I'd be taking a few days off for personal reasons, someone on Twitter joked, "Modern Family fans rejoice." Last week, a bunch of you decided that I was simply looking for reasons to complain about the show - as opposed to the much less complicated, actual explanation that I didn't find it as funny as some of you did - and given that I didn't like most of "Unplugged," I was tempted to just skip the show altogether this week and come back next week.
Instead, I'm gonna keep it simple: I didn't laugh at the Dunphy plot other than Luke destroying Dunphy Towers ("There's no fire escapes! They cut corners!") and the revelation of what Haley was doing with the bar of soap. I hated hated hated the Cam/Mitchell plot, as I feel every comedy on television needs to forever retire stories about parents freaking out about getting their kids into private school (I also cringed when "Parenthood" did it a few weeks ago).
But Jay/Gloria/Manny? That I laughed at - a lot. It was completely cartoonish - Gloria's voice setting off the car alarm, the guys in mortal terror of her, etc. - yet in a way that played to the strengths of all three actors.
So one out of three, maybe one and a quarter. Not really loving this season so far. But to be fair, I ran hot and cold on season one, too, where I enjoyed maybe half the episodes without any reservations. Hoping for a "Fizbo"-level episode, and soon.
And now let me brace myself as I ask: what did everybody else think?
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Modern Family, Alan Sepinwall
CAMBONELuke might be the MVP of this show... (next to Gloria, of course)October 21, 2010 at 9:42AM ESTReply to Comment
(guest)"There's no fire escapes! They cut corners!" might have been the line of the season so far. Instant laughter on my part.October 21, 2010 at 9:50AM ESTReply to Comment
christyAgreed. Funny how last week the Jay/Gloria/Manny storyline was by far the worst, and this week it was the only one that really worked. I guess it's a sign that there's no true weak link, but it would be nice to see one again where it all clicked at once.October 21, 2010 at 9:51AM ESTReply to Comment
Ryan (guest)Didn't like the Dunphy storyline. Thought it made the parents look too much like idiots.
Didn't like the Jay/Gloria/Manny storyline. Didn't buy that Jay & Manny would think Gloria could commit dog homicide.
Loved the payoff to the Cam & Mitchell storyline though. Cam's Native American routine had me in stitches. The corn = maize thing is so cliche, the fact that he had to go to that well twice was just awesome.October 21, 2010 at 9:56AM ESTReply to Comment
Evan (guest)I thought it was one of the funniest episodes of Modern Family myself. The Jay/Manny/Gloria plot was awesome, and Cam/Mitchell was fantastic. Didn't care much for the Dunphy family one, but enough good liners to make up for it.October 21, 2010 at 9:57AM ESTReply to Comment
Ytor (guest)My white-man name is Tucker but I'm 1/16 CherokeeOctober 21, 2010 at 9:58AM ESTReply to Comment
Gary (guest)I like it when Gloria says "pickles" almost as much as when she says "cupcakes."October 21, 2010 at 9:59AM ESTReply to Comment
KujoI wonder if PETA is going to complain over the alleged dog kidnapping/homicide plot.
Anyway, the Jay/Gloria/Manny plot was funny. Only other thing that made be laugh was Luke. The cereal bit, and Dunphy Towers.October 21, 2010 at 10:00AM ESTReply to Comment
Wade (guest)The J/M/G storyline was way funny. It started out great with the neighbor retorting that they shouldn't have been complaining about his dog when he never complains about their parrot. And then we get the montage of Gloria's "Jay!Jay!JAY!JAY!" Hahahahaha. And then we even get one when the scene ends.
Manny acting all nonchalant and cool when Jay expresses his concerns, but then we see he's been masking his own worries with espresso. "Why are your hands shaking?" "This is my fifth one. I think I have a problem."
It's really funny that Jay and Manny have become such compatriots, too.
I was also bored with the Cam-Mitchell storyline. Although I did chuckle a little at Cam's horribly racist Indian monologue to the school's headmaster. Mainly because he stuck to the bit. 1/16th Cherokee!
The technology plot was meh, although I do like that every once and a while we get a particularly conniving Haley, as opposed to total brain dead typical teen. Luke was also funny.October 21, 2010 at 10:04AM ESTReply to Comment
conradlaughed hard at the cutaways to gloria yelling, "jay" that the neighbor mistook for a loud and annoying parrot.
felt like 'unplugged' stole a bit from seinfeld's infamous 'the contest' episode ["and then there were 3."] as well as 30 rock's 'cleveland' episode where liz's boyfriend is up for a promotion and loses out to diversity. not unlike cam and mitchell:
"well played garkel.' - one of my favorite alec baldwin lines.October 21, 2010 at 10:05AM ESTReply to Comment
hjli (guest)I instantly laughed at this line:
Mitch - "Great. Leave it to the gays to raise the only underachieving Asian in America."
C'mon! That was hilarious. Maybe because I'm Asian?
I was into the Cam-Mitch storyline because it felt like an accurate humourous exaggeration of how in society diversity is used as a "card" and "competitive advantage" for getting into great schools, a great job, etc.October 21, 2010 at 10:09AM ESTReply to Comment
TeklanikaExcellent points.October 21, 2010 at 4:33PM EST
JenniferI also loved the "underachieving Asian" comment.
Maybe it's because I got into the show late with DVDs, but I really look forward to new episodes every week (especially with "Parks & Rec benched). I laughed out loud a lot during this episode. The Jay/Gloria story was best overall but one of my favorite moments had to be Claire on the phone with Mitch and Cam
Claire: Don't worry, she can wait another year. Just buy her a Blackberry, that's all she gonna want to anyway.
Cam: What did she say?
Mitchell: She says to buy her a Blackberry.
Cam: Lily doesn't have the dexterity for that, Claire! What is happening?October 21, 2010 at 11:54PM EST
AlexWI know it's just a sitcom, blah blah blah, but it's starting to get very unnerving how quiet and passive Lily *always* is. During the whole pre-school plot (and I've never agreed more with Alan that with his hatred of private pre-school plot), I just wanted to stop the guys and scream, "if you want your baby to do well in life, quit treating her like a prop, and talk to her, play with her, interact with her." When the show started, I was really impressed with how well-behaved Lily was. Now I worry if there's even a little girl behind that constant blank stare. I'm starting to hope the explanation is that they keep her drugged up or something, because the alternative (that she's just like that) would be worse.
Am I the only one?October 22, 2010 at 3:32AM EST
AlfI've seen behind-the-scenes photos where the girls are smiling. Don't worry about them.October 22, 2010 at 3:45AM EST
Jason Kiger (guest)Really liked Claire on the phone trying to deal with those terrible voice recognition menus. Luke was outstanding with the cereal and the towers. He has been much, much better than last season. I think they are going to the Manny/espresso thing too often and Jay hasn't been very good this season.October 21, 2010 at 10:10AM ESTReply to Comment
Kendra (guest)I agree with you. I didn't find much funny about last night. The Dunphy's "Contest" story was boring, predictable and for some reason made me think of Seinfeld's "The Contest." Perhaps it was irrational but I do know I wish I would've been watching that episode for the millionth time than the MF outing last night.
Cam/Mitch's story was also predictable but it did elicit a few laughs from me. I think I credit the delivery of Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet.
And the only one part that worked for me in the Jay/Gloria/Manny story was when Gloria killed the rat before going to church.
So all in all, it seems like every story had about one or two moments that made me laugh but it was a weaker episode overall.October 21, 2010 at 10:13AM ESTReply to Comment
Kmarkojfadkl;gnakl;October 21, 2010 at 10:14AM ESTReply to Comment
KmarkoHey, comment showed up! Yay!
Wow, even though you've had problems with the show, I guess I didn't notice it as much as others. Completely disagree about this ep, thought it was uniformly terrific. From "Representative! Representative!" to "She's just making up words" to Hogwarts and Maize and all the Gloria stuff, just amazingly funny. So I say 3 for 3, and we get peeckles.October 21, 2010 at 10:14AM ESTReply to Comment
(guest)This was really the funniest episode of the season. I was almost crying at the Cam/Mitchell line, and sure, the parents freaking out over pre-school is contrived. However, they way they did it was not. "Disabled interracial lesbians with an African kicker? Didn't see that coming..." Genius... It might be time for you to hand off the review reigns to someone else, because Modern Family is on its way to a second Best Comedy Emmy. It's cool you don't get it, but you are in the minority.October 21, 2010 at 10:30AM ESTReply to Comment
fritolayguyAlan, I completely agree about the over used "must get into the best pre-school" plot.. however, the Howarts line made me laugh out loud, as well as the one upsmanship of levels of diversity-October 21, 2010 at 10:39AM ESTReply to Comment
srpadC'mon, Cam talking like an Indian and Mitch whispering "Oh G-d" was worth that weak storyline.October 21, 2010 at 10:46AM ESTReply to Comment
Melissa (guest)And now we have pickles!October 21, 2010 at 10:59AM ESTReply to Comment
rachel (guest)I liked it. The whole thing, not just the Gloria/Jay/Manny part. If anything I find that this is one of the few returning shows I have that is NOT disappointing me this season. I've gotten laughs out of every S2 eppy so far.October 21, 2010 at 11:03AM ESTReply to Comment
LJAI laughed outloud several times, I thought it was good.October 21, 2010 at 11:06AM ESTReply to Comment
(guest)Luke is the weak link of the show. The worst actor on tv.October 21, 2010 at 11:17AM ESTReply to Comment
rachelYet I love Luke. Manny gets all the praise, but I honestly enjoy the Dunphy kids more.October 21, 2010 at 12:29PM EST
MariaI totally disagree. Luke is my favorite of the kids and I think the actor does a great job.October 21, 2010 at 3:56PM EST
TeddYeah I think Luke is fine. I'm not really all that connected with tv criticism (I only started reading this site last week), but is it true that Manny gets praised? That kid is a horrendous actor, I've seen elementary-school productions that are have better actors then him. But Luke is fine.October 21, 2010 at 11:50PM EST
Q Ball (guest)I've been pretty critical of Modern Family in the past, but I thought this was another very funny episodes. Modern Family doesn't have the most original storylines, but I think it brings the funny every week. And since comedy is so subjective I don't think anyone should be giving Alan a hard time for not loving the show week in and week out.
The reason why Community usually gets consistently great reviews is because the storylines and characters are so unique. Even if the jokes don't work on that show (or it becomes too meta) the show is usually solid regardless.
Both Modern Family and Community are top notch comedies.October 21, 2010 at 11:23AM ESTReply to Comment
(guest)This season hasn't been as strong as last season but I thought this was the strongest episode so far. The Jay-Manny-Gloria plot slayed me. Ed O'Neil is criminally underrated on this show. The subtlety to some of his lines: specifically when he says, "just wait" to his neighbor, the terror when he says "She left the rat head out there as a message to the other rats", and the earnestness when he talks about going with Gloria to Colombia.
I wasn't a big fan of the Dunphy plot, but I almost died during Eric Stonestreet's Indian impression.October 21, 2010 at 11:40AM ESTReply to Comment
SB (guest)Are you kidding me?
All 3 families were hilarious,
when Haley says to Claire "Is this what you always sound like", freaking hilarious, shows you how disconnected she is from that family.
Alex always making the parents look like idiots, "She's making up words".
"The library is a bathroom for homeless people".
Everything worked!October 21, 2010 at 12:14PM ESTReply to Comment
Jake (guest)To me, this is Modern Family's equivalent of "Basic Rocket Science." I am quickly running out of shows that I am genuinely excited for on network television.October 21, 2010 at 12:15PM ESTReply to Comment
Maria (guest)Must be something wrong with me cos I LOL'd more than a few times last night.October 21, 2010 at 12:25PM ESTReply to Comment
sanen85 (guest)Regardless of how you feel about a particular episode, I look forward to coming here and reading your OPINION on the episode. More often than not, I agree with your critique. Even when I don't, I remember that opinions vary. So, for those of us who remember that, please continue to critique this show (and others) whatever way you see fit. There is a reason why you are a critic and we are not. :)
Now, if only we could fix the commenting issues.October 21, 2010 at 12:44PM ESTReply to Comment
billI have finally reached my conclusion about the real Alan Sepinwall. Except for a few shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, Alan is a contrarian. He can't deny it.
He gravitates toward the underdog. MF is a smash hit so Alan gets turned off by the hype, and enjoys more the struggling underdogs Cougartown and Community. He resents MF because it gets more attention than the other two just mentioned and goes into each episode predisposed to hate it.
I became sold on this theory most recently with Alans treatment of Sons of Anarchy. That show was loved and adored by Alan last year when it was a sleeper show for FX, back when it was living under the shadow of Damages. A much publicized show that Alan hated and took great pains to assert how inferior it was to Anarchy.
Well Damages is gone. Anarchy is a smash hit. The critics love it. Its FX's most popular show and with success comes the predictable Sepinwall hostility. Now that the show is an overwhelming success Anarchy can do nothing right in his eyes. The show has become horrible and overrated as Alan has transferred his affection to the struggling Terriers. Alan now resents the success of Anarchy and is predisposed to view everything the show does as inferior to his new pet Terriers. If Cougartown and Terriers ever become successful he will hate them much as he detests MF and Anarchy.October 21, 2010 at 12:59PM EST
sepinwallBravo, Bill. Nailed me. The opinions I express are clearly not honest ones, but motivated entirely by my anti-establishment worldview.
Off to figure out a new gimmick now that you've ruined the old one by revealing it to the world...October 21, 2010 at 1:12PM EST
RDBill, I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but talk about the show not Alan. He's doing his job, a pretty good one at that, and if you want critics to have the same opinions about shows that you do, I'm certain there are other critics out there. He likes what he likes. Just because some people may not agree with your opinions about shows, that doesn't allow you to judge them.
And I think a lot of people can attest to the fact that Season 2 of Modern Family has been only okay, thus far.October 21, 2010 at 1:16PM EST
KmarkoRD, are you trying to be funny? You talked about opinions very nicely, then wrote, "...the fact that..." That's kinda funny.October 21, 2010 at 2:36PM EST
Bill, I think you're trying to figure out why you don't agree with Alan's opinion. I know I don't have to defend Alan (he did just fine himself) but critics are voicing their opinions. I enjoy reading Alan because we have the same sensibilities and I enjoy the quality of the people who post on here.
Alan states opinions, not facts. But there are some facts that contradict your argument:
1) Sons of Anarchy was a smash hit last year and the awards shows ignored it and many critics sneered at it. It almost caught Leno in the ratings (a cable show catching a broadcast show is unheard of). Alan is FAR from the only critic to voice concerns about the third season.
2) Modern Family was pretty much a hit out of the gate last year. Alan was on board with it then, if he were a contrarian he would have trashed it out of the gate.
3) Community is pretty critically lauded, Cougar Town not as much but it's realy coming into it's own as a show.October 21, 2010 at 4:03PM EST
RDKmarko, I ain't no English major. Me fail engwish in Universitay.October 21, 2010 at 7:03PM EST
RD (guest)I loved the episode. Thought it was great, probably the best of season 2. Yeah, the whole preschool thing is getting played out, but they had a good twist to it, thinking that their homosexuality could give them an advantage. I laughed out loud when Cam said "disabled interracial lesbians with an african kicker".
Luke was amazing as always, and the Gloria/Parrot thing was hilarious. As was, Gloria knowing how to kill animals.
I may be in the minority, but thought it had numerous funny parts.October 21, 2010 at 1:11PM ESTReply to Comment
GumphoodLuke is a live action Ralph WigamOctober 21, 2010 at 1:19PM ESTReply to Comment


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This is free to use if you join team fire strike. To join go to http://www.teamfirestrike.weebly.com What Super Toon 2.0 is, is a version of Super Toon, and Toon Town, but enhanced to give you flashing gloves. Plus you start out with 3 gag tracks instead of 2. That means you can use all 7 tracks. Hurry and get super toon now!
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