Integrated Power Electronics Cooling System Using EHD - Enhanced Microchannel Technology

ATEC and TA&T, in collaboration with the University of Maryland, will develop a light-weight, low-cost ceramic-based, high heat flux microchannel heat sink device suitable for power electronics cooling applications. The combination of our uniquefabrication process and the incorporation of an active heat transfer enhancement technology(electrohydrodynamics, EHD) will provide an enabling technology for the integration of thermal management into the design of smart power electronics systems. InPhase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of using a ceramic-based microchannel heat sink module for cooling of high-power electronic components, such as CPU's and power supplies. Our experiments using a TA&T ceramic microchannel module validated outanalytical model of heat transfer in a microchannel. In Phase II, we will be optimizing both the microchannel geometry and the formulations of the ceramic paste to produce a high flux microchannel device with heat removal capacity in the range of 100W/cm2 or higher. The addition of EHD electrodes to the channels will provide additional heat flux capability and active control of the heat transfer rates. TA&T is in the process of installing state-of-the-art, automated fabrication equipment that willincrease dimensional accuracy, allow the building of larger modules, and simplify the deposition of ceramic electrode pastes. Our ceramic-base microchannel heat sink device will be light-weight, low-cost, and will have sufficient heat flux capacity forcooling power electronics. Our goal is to develop and test a complete heat removal system that will allow direct integration of a thermal management system into the design of smart power electronic components. For example, heat pipes, which are thecurrent state-of-the-art cooling technology for electronic components in satellites, are limited to heat fluxes of about 50 W/cm2. Our heat flux goal for our microchannel module is twice this value.