Nanostructure-Enhanced Modular Cooler

To address the Army’s need for a nanotechnology-enhanced approach to improving the performance of the power electronics applications, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Nanostructure-Enhanced Modular Cooler (NEMC) technology. This proposed system is based on the combination of an array of high-performance thermal superconductors for spot cooling the components and a wide-area fluidic nano-suspension thermal stabilization system, providing the thermal interface to the external air-cooled heatsink. The innovative maintenance-free NEMC design, utilizing the latest advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology and lacking any moving parts, will allow substantial increase in the continuous output power density of the power electronics components of military-grade power generator units, such as the deployable 3-kW Tactical Quiet Generators (TQG) currently used by the Army, enabling these diesel-driven generators to achieve over 20% higher power rating even in the most extreme tactical environments—including desert deployment—without sacrificing reliability and at minimal cost to the military. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of NEMC by analytically and numerically modeling the system and building a bench-top test prototype based on the simulation results. Experience gained from these tests will be utilized in constructing an optimized prototype in Phase II.