SBIR Phase II: Two-Phase Microchannel Heat Sink with Porous Layers Lining Channel Inner Walls

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an advanced heat sink and a two-phase pumped loop for cooling high power laser diodes and other high heat flux devices. An advanced coating will be applied to the heat sink to enhance the boiling process, suppress flow instabilities and improve overall heat sink performance. The objectives of this Phase II project are to: (1) develop and validate a two-phase heat sink model, (2) develop a system-level model for a two-phase pumped loop, (3) design and fabricate the heat sink and pumped loop system and (4) test the prototype loop in the laboratory and on an actual system. The key benefits of the technology include high heat flux capability and isothermal cooling. The system will be compact and designed such that it can be integrated with high heat flux components. The broader impact/ commercial potential of this project will be to provide a new cooling solution for dissipating high heat fluxes in products used in the electronics and optoelectronics industries including compact high-power lasers. The technology developed will be capable of handling higher heat fluxes than those that can be managed with state-of-the-art, commercially available single-phase coolers. Moreover, the technology will not use refrigerants that have high Global Warming Potential. This program will also be performed in close collaboration with researchers at an academic institution and aide in the technical training of students in basic and applied research and new product development. The results of this study will be disseminated in the heat transfer community through conference presentations and journal publications.