SBIR Phase II: Innovative Two-Phase High-Heat-Flux Heat Exchanger

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to demonstrate an innovative multi-phase-fluid heat exchanger capable of revolutionizing heat transfer for high-heat-flux cooling applications. Initial experiments confirmed that metastable two-phase fluids can produce heat transfer coefficients 40% greater than single-phase fluids at the same flow rate and they have the potential to dissipate heat flux values. The broader impact/commercial potential from the technology will be result in a standardized family of two-phase cold plates that can be used by designers of electronics devices for a wide variety of applications. The new family of two-phase cold plates will be sold in sizes and configurations similar to existing air-cooled devices, but will have significantly increased heat flux dissipation rates and reduced thermal resistances. This project will also provide supporting design information and an Interactive Design Tool for use by the electrical packaging designer. The designer will then be free to package the remainder of the thermal management system based on basic vapor-compression design principals or purchase a system. Additionally, for applications where standard thermal components will not work, this project will provide custom solutions.