Acoustic compression for the thermal management of multi-load electronic systems

Abstract

This paper introduces a unique thermal management architecture that employs vapor-compression refrigeration to cool, above the dew point, multiple independently operating microprocessors in a small volume. The refrigeration system is driven by a novel acoustic compressor technology that has the virtues of, among other things, being highly variable, oil-less, and orientation independent, and thus able to operate under significant variations in loading and deployment. The paper will also, therefore, introduce acoustic compression and discuss its application to the thermal management of electronics. A prototype 5U server with four 100 W, independently variable, heat loads demonstrating the technology has been built and experimental results are reviewed.