SBIR Phase I: Metal-based microchannel heat exchange systems for electronic devices

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a compact, metalbased, sealed, recirculating, fluid cooling system for electronic devices. Metal-based microchannel heat exchangers (MHEs) have potential advantages over Si-based devices in terms of thermal performance and mechanical robustness. The proposed fabrication technology is unique and provides a means to low-cost, high-throughput, mass production of high efficiency, microchannel cooling systems for micro-electronic and power-electronic devices. Efficient fabrication of metal-based MHEs and quantitative flow and heat transfer measurements on them are critical for establishing the economic and technical feasibility of such devices. The proposing team has spearheaded the development of metallic high-aspect-ratio microscale structures (HARMSs) fabrication by molding replication, a potentially low-cost, high-throughput, mass production technique. This proposal will focus on the fabrication, assembly, and testing of metallic MHE based heat absorption modules and metallic MHE assembly based heat rejection modules. The team will 1) build all-metal, compact, high-efficiency, heat absorption/rejection module prototypes, 2) test these prototypes and quantify their heat transfer performance, 3) establish the engineering protocol for optimizing MHE geometries. The testing results on MHE-assembly based heat rejection modules will be benchmarked against competing devices. Traditional air cooling technology has become a limiting factor for current generation high performance electronic devices and will be insufficient for removing heat generated from new generation micro-electronic and power-electronic devices. Successful execution of this proposal will provide a novel, high-efficiency, microchannel fluid cooling technique for these new generation devices. The target product of this proposal will be marketed to computer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as Intel, IBM, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, etc., and is believed to enjoy performance and cost advantages over competing devices currently being contemplated. The study on the fabrication and heat transfer testing of metal-based MHEs with complicated designs will enhance scientific and technological understanding related to both science of manufacturing and fluid flow and heat transfer. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).