"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
ID: 0916714 Papaefthymiou Marios University of Michigan Ann Arbor SHF:Small: Energy-Recycling VLSI Systems
This research project will investigate novel technologies for the design of very-large scale integrated (VLSI) computer systems that achieve unprecedented levels of energy-efficient operation through energy recycling. In contrast to conventional computer systems that consume all the energy supplied to them while computing, energy-recycling computers reclaim and reuse any energy that remains undissipated during their operation. Therefore, they have the potential to operate with substantially lower energy consumption than conventional computers. This project will encompass a broad spectrum of design technologies for energy-recycling computers, including circuitry, computing architectures, and design methodologies. The effectiveness of these technologies will be assessed through the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of proof-of-concept hardware prototypes.
With power consumption in high-performance microprocessors exceeding 100Watts, the design of energy-efficient computers has become a top priority in electronic design due to reliability concerns caused by excessive heat generation. Furthermore, energy-efficient computers play a key role in the development of new mobile applications due to battery-life considerations. And last, but not least, the power requirements of computing devices, including high-performance servers, desktops, and laptops, is placing an increasing burden on the power grid, with emissions from all these sources growing at a reported annual compound rate of 6% and thus posing a serious environmental concern. The outcomes of this research project can therefore be transformative, resulting in innovative design technologies for realizing next-generation computer systems that achieve unprecedented levels of reliable and energy-efficient operation, enable new mobile applications, and promote sustainability.
