ICED: Intensified Cooling of Electronic Devices

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Advances in manufacturing technology are allowing the development of smaller, more powerful electronic components such as microprocessors and power modules. This has allowed and is continuing to drive innovation in a range of areas including high performance computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy generators, and communication devices. However, the increasing power density also leads to cooling problems, and the amount of heat per unit area which must be removed is rapidly increasing beyond the capabilities of existing cooling systems. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop next-generation cooling systems capable of cooling future electronic devices in order to prevent bottle-necking of their development. This is reflected in the market for heat sink manufacture, which is expected to grow to $15.4bn globally by 2024.In this project we will develop "intensified" liquid-phase cooling systems: using dynamic flow and novel channel design to significantly enhance the maximum rate of heat removal. In collaboration with key industrial partners we will consider the use of advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, in order to develop heat sink geometries which are at the forefront of technological and manufacturing capability. This, in conjunction with the use of dynamic flow, will allow us to maximise heat removal rates without significant energy penalty. Further, we will test our technology on cutting edge power electronics circuits in order to provide validation of our design concepts and evidence of the near-to-market impact potential of the research.The results of this research will allow effective cooling and the possibility of heat re-use from future, highly powered, electronic devices. This will enable future developments in small and micro electronics, allowing future innovation in the application areas listed above which are crucial in the drive for a greener, more productive and more resilient nation.