Advanced Thermal Management of Very High Power Electronics

The Integrated Power System (IPS) architecture of the Navy's 21st century electric warships will distribute electric power to all shipboard systems including: integrated propulsion plants, crew support, electromagnetic aircraft launching systems, high-power radar and sensors, and high-power electric weapons systems. The IPS will distribute megawatts of power, at high current levels using IGBT modules to switch the power at high frequencies. When these devices operate at high current and frequency they produce heat flux levels that approach 1000 W/cm2. In Phase I, Rini Technologies, Inc. (RTI) demonstrated the feasibility of using their unique evaporative spray cooling (ESC) technique to maintain IGBT junction temperatures of 125°C when operating at these extreme power levels. In Phase II, RTI engineers and researchers at the UCF will design, fabricate and test a `module level' evaporative spray cooling system to cool a 250 kW IGBT power inverter module. The Phase II prototype will utilize a `cabinet level' architecture to compliment the electronics rack packaging and the ship's zonal level heat removal system. The goal of the Phase II is to demonstrate a TRL-5+ prototype ESC system and establish a clear pathway for qualification and deployment of this technology onto the DD (X) or CVN (X) platforms at the conclusion of Phase III.