Design and Analysis of a Meso-Scale Refrigerator

The preliminary design and analysis of a meso-scale refrigerator is presented here. The device is to be designed out of layers of silicon wafers bonded together and is to be fabricated through the techniques of microelectronics. The intended application of the device is an integrated heat removal system for electronics or photonic chips or modules. The paper presents a functional decomposition of the entire system, thermodynamic feasibility analysis, alternative configurations for two of the functions: actuation and compression, and parametric analysis for two alternative candidates for compressor actuation. A set of reasonable design requirements is first formulated. Overall function of the devices is decomposed into nine major sub-functions. Comparison of different alternatives for compression and actuation suggests that electrostatic actuation integrated with centrifugal compression is a viable option. Two different ways to implement electrostatic actuation are considered in details: variable capacitance motor and electrostatic induction motor. A set of design relations and criteria needed to obtain the optimal design of each motor is presented along with a discussion on relative effects of the main design parameters.