This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop a compact, metal-based, recirculating liquid cooling system for next-generation electronic devices. The dramatic increase in computing power over several decades has been accompanied by an equally dramatic increase in the heat generated at the electronic module level. It is generally accepted that forced air cooling, the dominant cooling technology of today, will not be sufficient for high performance devices of tomorrow. Alternative cooling technologies with higher performance and lower area/volume footprint have become critical for better-performing computing devices. A significant market is expected for such advanced chip cooling technologies. Metal-based microchannel heat exchangers (MHEs) combine high heat flux removal capacity, low area/volume footprint, as well as high mechanical integrity, and constitute a leading technological contender for replacing forced air cooling. This project will focus on design and fabrication of metal-based MHEs and MHE assemblies as heat absorption and rejection modules with improved heat transfer performance, assembly of recirculating-liquid MHE systems, and benchmarking against competing technologies. The study on the design, fabrication, and heat transfer testing of metal-based MHEs will enhance scientific and technological understanding related to micromanufacturing, as well as microchannel liquid flow and heat transfer.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is tied into the ultimate project goal of incorporating liquid-based chip cooling technology with the best performance into next-generation desktop personal computers and other microelectronic and powerelectronic devices. The planned recirculating-liquid MHE chip cooling system is envisioned to become a critical enabler of higher performance and higher power electronic devices. A quick review of the progress in computing devices over the last few decades and the associated societal changes serves to convince that increased computing power in the hands of imaginative people can unleash unforeseen innovations. Successful execution of this project will push to the market place a product that can serve a catalytic role in such an innovation unleashing process. The target product will be marketed to computer original equipment manufacturers and is shown to enjoy performance and cost advantages over competing devices currently being contemplated. The project goal is to develop cost-effective manufacturing technologies to the point of production readiness. Successful execution of this project will help to establish the commercial viability of a technology-based manufacturing company with potential for positive economic impact and job creation.
", was awarded to Enervana Technologies LLC of Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Enervana). This Phase II Grant follows a previous SBIR Phase IB Grant, NSF IIP-1003493, and a previous SBIR Phase I Grant, NSF IIP-0912492, both to Enervana. The overall goal of the Enervana Phase II project is to develop the design and manufacturing machines and protocols for compact, metal-based, microchannel heat exchanger (MHE) systems that use recirculating liquid to effect heat exchange. Enervana’s MHE systems are viewed as a platform technology with potential applications to cooling micro-electronic modules in advanced computing devices, power-electronic modules in hybrid vehicles, aviation electronics, and others. The Enervana MHE system consisted of a) a compact, low-profile, heat absorption module to take energy away from the device generating high heat flux; b) a compact heat rejection module to restore the heated liquid to its initial cool temperature; c) a pump to maintain required liquid recirculation throughout the system; d) a fan to maintain sufficient air flow for heat dissipation. Key technical elements of Enervana’s Phase II project are defined through the following objectives: Engineer improved metallic, low-profile, MHE heat absorption modules Engineer improved metallic, MHE-assembly, heat rejection modules Demonstrate a recirculating-liquid, MHE cooling system prototype Develop a set of manufacturing technologies and protocols On intellectual merit, six publications in peer-reviewed technical journals were generated in association with this Phase II project. These publications describe the technical details for low-profile, credit-card-sized coolers (C3) as heat absorption modules, compact, higher efficiency heat rejection modules, approaches to reliable metallurgical bonding of enclosed metallic microchannel devices, and new, high-throughput and low-cost manufacturing methods for high-aspect-ratio metallic microchannel structures. These publications lay the foundation for further engineering developments. In addition to technical publications, patent application and technology disclosure were filed in association with this Phase II project. Beyond the defensive publications, patent application and technology disclosure offer additional protection of intellectual properties generated in association with this project. On broader impact, this Phase II project led to the design, construction, and testing of new machines and protocols focused on high-throughput and low-cost manufacturing of metal-based microchannel structures and on passivation of internal surfaces of aluminum-based microchannel devices. These microscale manufacturing methodologies are general and applicable to broad ranging product development applications.
