Study of microchip power module materials with mini-channel heat exchanger

Date of Award

2009

Degree Name

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Jamie Ervin

Abstract

Micro-chip power capacities are rapidly increasing while the heat dissipation methods slowly advance. Thus, chip thermal conditions and the related mechanical properties need to be investigated. Selection of the optimal material combinations and attachment methods are critical for future requirements. A test stand has been developed that incorporates a mini-channel heat exchanger with round channels, and a copper block with stem as the heat input. Employing the combination of mini-channel heat exchanger with the heater allows for a known heat flux to be imposed. Future work with the optimization of module materials for SiC devices requires that the heat transfer and flow characteristics for the heat exchanger be understood thus this project is the characterization of the heat exchanger. The experimental conditions applied to the system are intended to simulate a SiC device with an estimated 100 W/cm² of waste and an operation temperature limit of 200⁰C. Imposed heat flux levels have been observed to be in the range 70-160 W/cm² with interface temperatures below 100⁰C. Lastly, computational fluid dynamics are used to simulate the flow and heat transfer within the mini-channel heat exchanger for a few flow rates to compare to the experiment

Keywords

Integrated circuits, Heat exchangers

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2009, author

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS