Solid phase, high flux cooling of electronic equipment

Abstract

The use of solid materials in the form of thin foils for high flux cooling of electronic equipment is presented. The Foil And Slot Thermal (FAST) Conveyor is a new approach to heat transfer using thin solid foils running in narrow slots. Thermal fluxes above 150Wcm−2 are conservatively predicted with 20C foil to slot temperature differences at ambient temperatures between −40C to above 250C and over 2000Wcm−2 for refrigerated cooling systems. Theoretical models predict flux levels above 100Wcm−2 even at 100K. Prototypes using the same core technology in various configurations have been built and tested. Preliminary results from these experiments are discussed which indicate the potential of the new technology for high heat flux, wide operating temperature applications.