RII Track4: FAST Heat Transfer Enhancement of Cold Plates using Vortex Generators

技术的快速发展导致了电子产品的更高性能和更小尺寸。随着电路密度的提高和工作频率的提高，电子设备散热越来越多。由于散热量的大幅增加，采用散热器和风扇的传统散热系统往往不足以使现代电子设备维持在工作温度范围内。因此，需要开发一种先进的热管理系统来充分消除散热，并将电子产品保持在工作温度以下，以获得更好的性能和更高的可靠性，因此，本研究是出于这样的需求。通过与NASA约翰逊航天中心的合作，该项目将设计和开发一种先进的冷板式换热器。这一发展将导致利用涡流发生器(VGS)更有效和更有效地散热的能力，特别是用于人类航天器中的电子设备。当在冷板中实现更好的液体冷却时，它可以显著节省能源，并减少设备的尺寸和重量。最终，这项研究可以为航天器应用中电子产品的下一代热管理系统的设计、开发和实施提供支持。冷板有金属壁围成的液体冷却剂流动通道。在流动通道中使用涡流发生器(VGS)具有极大的潜力来强化换热，同时最大限度地减少重量和压降损失。因此，本研究的目的是为了证明微尺度VGS诱导的多尺度涡旋结构能够更有效地在冷板中传递和传输热能。具体地说，本研究项目将包括：1)开发使用多个微型VGS的先进冷板换热器；2)研究微型VGS诱导的涡旋结构对对流换热的影响；3)优化液体冷却剂流动通道，重点是航天器中的冷板。预计由微VGS引起的涡流将扰乱水力/热力边界层，并将促进流动不稳定性和主导中、微观混合机制的二次相干结构的形成。对于热分析，将通过实验计算流体温度、热效率、努塞尔数和对流换热系数。还将使用红外(IR)热像仪测量冷板的局部表面温度分布。此外，还将根据实验结果修改冷却剂流动通道的结构，以实现均匀的温度分布，减少局部集中的热点。最终，该研究项目的成功将导致冷板热性能的提高，从而减少设备的尺寸/重量并节省能源。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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. 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.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.