Design of an Integrated Loop Heat Pipe Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger for High Performance Electronics

Abstract

The continually increasing heat generation rates in high performance electronics, radar systems and data centers require development of efficient heat exchangers that can transfer large heat loads. In this paper, we present the design of a new high-performance heat exchanger capable of transferring 1000 W while consuming less than 33 W of input electrical power and having an overall thermal resistance of 0.05 K/W. The low thermal resistance is achieved by using a loop heat pipe with a single evaporator and multiple condenser plates that constitute the array of fins. Impellers between the fins are driven by a custom permanent magnet synchronous motor in a compact volume of 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.1 m to maximize the heat transfer area and reduce the required airflow rate and electrical power. The design of the heat exchanger is developed using analytical and numerical methods to determine the important parameters of each component. The results form the basis for the fabrication and experimental characterization that is currently under development.Index Terms-Air cooling, heat exchanger, loop heat pipe, thermal management.

Condensation heat transfer on superhydrophobic surfaces

“…We observe this process in our daily lives, such as on a hot summer day when water accumulates on a cold drink or when fog forms on a humid day. In industry, vapor condensation is an essential process in power generation 6 , thermal management 7 , water desalination 8,9 , and environmental control 10 . For example, the thermal efficiency of the steam cycle, responsible for the majority of an industrialized nation's power production, is directly linked to condensation heat transfer performance.…”

Near Field Condensation

“…Near field condensation breaks these paradigms by enabling the equivalent of dropwise condensation on hydrophilic substrates not requiring extremely low hysteresis. Differing from liquid transport via capillary flows 71 or droplet jumping 65,67 in existing thermal management devices, near field condensation provides a method for direct and rapid liquid return to the evaporator, reducing condensation thermal resistance due to elimination of porous wicking structures or functional chemical coatings on the condensing surface.…”

Active heat transfer enhancement in air cooled heat sinks using integrated centrifugal fans

“…1). Heat transfer into the bottom of the device causes the working fluid, water, to evaporate and travel up the vertical pipes into the parallel condensers (the condensers are described in detail by Peters [24] and Hanks [21]). Heat is removed from the condensers by convective heat transfer to the air flow.…”