Ultra High Heat Flux Electronics Cooler

Makel Engineering Inc. proposes to develop an electronics cooling device for on-board aircraft applications which is capable of cooling extremely high heat flux power electronics. The Ultra High Flux Electronics Cooler (UHFEC) will use enhanced heat transfer design features within a thin (less than 1 cm thick), lightweight, heat exchanger constructed from thin sheets of photo-etched copper or aluminum which are then diffusion bonded into a monolithic structure. The UHFEC design will seek to create very high heat transfer area to volume through the use of micro-pin fins in combination with high coolant to wall heat transfer coefficients. The main goal of the proposed Phase I effort is to demonstrate cooling of silicon based power electronics which have heat fluxes on the order of 500 W/cm*2 using current available aircraft environmental control systems to supply coolant. During Phase I, prototype coolers will be designed, fabricated, and tested in support of this goal. In addition, the preliminary design of an integrated electronics cooling module incorporating several UHFECs in a standard package such as the standard electronic module (SEM-E) will be developed in Phase I. This work will provide the basis for full development of an integrated module in Phase II.