Modeling Size Effects of a Portable Two-Phase Electronics Cooling Loop With Different Refrigerants

Abstract

A one dimensional dynamic system model is developed to accurately simulate a two-phase microchannel electronics cooling loop. This model is based on the single component mixture equations for mass, momentum and energy. These equations are solved numerically using a finite volume method in conjunction with the SIMPLE algorithm. To calculate the pressure losses and heat transfer state of the art empirical correlations are used. Furthermore size effects of a typical microchannel cooling system are investigated with the new model. Special attention is given to the accumulator size and its limitations for portable applications. A simple model to investigate the accumulator size effect on the loop is developed and compared to numerical results obtained from the system model. The influence of various loop parameters and possible improvements are also investigated. Finally the effect of using different coolants is studied.

Thermal Management Challenges in Telecommunication Systems and Data Centers

“…However, the performance of such cooling solutions when embedded in overall systems is often overlooked, linked to proprietary system architectures, and specific to individual systems, making it difficult to investigate in generic terms. Examples include the effect of system performance of secondary heat exchangers, condensers and even the connecting tubing [66].…”

“…As discussed above, the choice of coolant largely depends on the required level of serviceability, which may be less strict for in-house data centers. Nevertheless given the superior thermal properties of water, a solid-state thermal connector [66] could prove to be a key enabler for the use of water as coolant.…”

Numerical model of a two-phase microchannel heat sink electronics cooling system

“…[4]. Because the system level design and control strongly influence the performance of the two-phase microchannel heat sink [5], it is paramount that a detailed, transient system model is available for the designers of such a cooling system.…”

Size effects of a portable two-phase electronics cooling loop

“…Recently a dynamic system model has been developed to simulate a two-phase electronic cooling system [19][20][21]. The equations of of mass, momentum and energy conservation are numerically solved using finite volume discretization and implicit time integration.…”

“…The junction temperature of the electronics is strongly linked with the boiling temperature, as the boiling temperature determines the coolant temperature in the two-phase region of the heat sink. To analyze the size reduction a dynamic system model [19][20][21] is used. Subsequently an analytical model is developed in section 3, to characterize these size effects.…”