Compact Condensers Enabled by Print-to-Cast Additive Manufacturing

High power electronics are being increasingly limited by conventional single-phase thermal management technologies. Refrigerant two-phase cooling presents a significant opportunity for thermal management of high-power electronics. While recent advances in cold plates and evaporators have been demonstrated in high heat flux applications, the condenser-side of the two-phase coolant loop has not kept pace. Condensers are often the largest component in a two-phase cooling system and optimization of compact condensers by additive manufacturing (AM) are constrained by limitations in material space, expensive and often extensive post-processing, and minute changes in process parameters having macroscopic impacts on properties leading to long-term durability concerns. For decades, open celled metal foams have been implemented in heat exchangers and cold plates with significant SWaP improvements. Open celled metal foams are excellent extended surfaces for heat transfer augmentation, providing high surface area and enhanced mixing, along with unique durability and shape packaging flexibility advantages over fins. ERG’s novel print-to-cast AM-enabled manufacturing technique allows the complexity of AM designs without the limitations; no restrictions in alloy space (Al 6000 series, pure Cu, etc.), fewer process parameters but smaller feature sizes, low cost, and minimal post-processing. Heat transfer surfaces will be optimized by selection of ideal lattice types and with spatially varied ligaments, a novel area of AM-designed porous structures. The present effort will demonstrate innovative compact condenser designs with ERG’s novel AM-designed porous structures featuring improved thermal performance, optimal material selection, complete control over parameter and properties, and reduced post-processing and infrastructure cost.