Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer

DOI: 10.1615/JEnhHeatTransf.v11.i4.180

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A Novel Micro Cooling System for Electronic Devices Using a Micro Capillary Groove Evaporator

Xuegong Hu
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2706, Beijing 100080, P.R. China

Y. H. Zhao
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2706, Beijing 100080, P.R. China

Xiaohong Yan
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2706, Beijing 100080, P.R. China

T. Tsuruta
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japan

ABSTRACT

In the presented study, a novel micro cooling system for electronic devices using a micro capillary groove evaporator was proposed. Based on experimental data in open (atmospheric) condition, we found that liquid level has an obvious influence on evaporating heat flux. For a given liquid level, there exists an optimum groove size, which maximizes evaporation heat transfer capacity. By using the optimum groove sizes in the open condition, two types of closed cooling systems for CPU chips for personal computers were designed: one was for desktop models and the other for notebook models. Their cooling performance to keep CPU chip temperature below 90 °C reached 3.35 × 10⁵ W/m² and 2.51 × 10⁵ W/m², respectively, for the desktop model by using ethanol and the notebook model by using methanol. Experimental results show that the maximum cooling capacities strongly depend on the condensation capacities of condensers in the closed cooling systems and volume fractions of working liquid in the evaporators.