NSF Award
2229434
The rapid development of technology has resulted in higher performance and smaller size in electronics. With the improvement of circuit density and faster operating frequency, more heat is dissipated by the electronics. Due to the considerable increase in heat dissipation, traditional heat removal system employing heat sink and fan often becomes insufficient for the modern electronics to maintain within the operating temperature. Therefore, this research is driven by the need to develop an advanced thermal management system to remove the dissipated heat sufficiently and maintain the electronics below the operating temperature for better performance and high reliability. Through the collaboration with the NASA Johnson Space Center, an advanced cold plate heat exchanger will be designed and developed in this project. This development will result in the ability to remove heat more efficiently and effectively by using vortex generators (VGs), especially for the electronics in human spacecraft. When better liquid cooling in cold plates is achieved, it can lead to significant energy savings as well as the reduction of the equipment size and weight. Eventually, this research can support the design, development, and implementation of the next generation of thermal management systems for the electronics in spacecraft applications. <br/><br/>Cold plates have liquid coolant flow passages bounded by metallic walls. The use of vortex generators (VGs) in the flow passages has a great potential to enhance heat transfer while minimizing the weight and pressure drop penalties. Therefore, the objective of this research is to show that the multiscale vortex structures induced by microscale VGs can transfer and transport thermal energy more efficiently and effectively in cold plates. Specifically, this research project will include 1) development of an advanced cold plate heat exchanger using multiple micro-VGs, 2) investigation of the effects of the vortical structures induced by micro-VGs on convective heat transfer, and 3) optimization of the liquid coolant flow passages with specific emphasis on cold plates in human spacecraft. It is expected that the vortical flows induced by micro-VGs will disrupt the hydraulic/thermal boundary layers and will promote the flow instabilities and the formation of secondary coherent structures that govern meso- and micro-mixing mechanisms. For thermal analysis, fluid temperature, thermal efficiency, Nusselt number, and convection heat transfer coefficient will be evaluated experimentally. The local surface temperature distributions of the cold plate will also be measured using infrared (IR) thermography. Furthermore, the coolant flow passage configurations will be modified based on the experimental results to achieve the uniform temperature distributions reducing the locally concentrated heat spots. Eventually, success of this research project will lead to the thermal performance enhancement of cold plates, thereby reducing of the equipment size/weight and saving energy.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
