Cold spray process additive manufacturing of heat transfer features in liquid cooled computer components

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The latest generation of computer components requires high performance cooling systems due to increased power consumption and hardware packaging size restrictions. The use of liquid based cooling (LBC) systems for thermal management of computer components has demonstrated significant promise for improved thermal performance in comparison to traditional air cooling techniques. Despite this potential, the technology remains within the confines of a niche industry, and as such most existing LBC systems are poorly optimized for thermal performance. IEIis currently developing a LBC system for video cards and graphics processing units (GPUs). The proposed project aims to use Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying (CGDS) as a novel additive manufacturing (AM) process for the production of high performance heat transfer features to be used in those high performance LBC systems. Previous work has already demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. However, these studies have also highlighted certain key challenges when considering CGDS as an AM technique in a high volume production setting. In particular, costs associated to raw material waste (powder material) can be high and issues related to process reliability/repeatability (due to undesirable material buildup on components of the CGDS pin fin fabrication fixture) are often present. These fundamental engineering issues can significantly hinder the economic viability of the technique, and as such they are the focus of the current proposed project. The successful resolution of these issues would be instrumental in demonstrating the reliability and economic feasibility of the CGDS process as an AM technique in a high volume production setting for GPUs. This could have enormous benefits to Canadian industries as it could introduce CGDS as a new viable and cost-effective AM technique, which could in turn open up a broad range of new possibilities beyond the specific application targeted in this proposal.**