Ceramic Foam Cold Plate for Avionics Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold plates for electronic components have limitations in surface area density due to high pressure drop and manufacturing complexity, which restrict heat absorption and are inadequate for future high power electronics, and also incur system performance penalties in aircraft avionics cooling.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates foam strips with a pore size of no more than 50 micrometers and a porosity of at least 80 percent, arranged within a housing to maximize coolant flow through their width, reducing pressure drop and increasing heat transfer surface area, using materials like ceramic foam for enhanced thermal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If surface area density is increased using finned core stock or metal foam, then heat transfer effectiveness is improved, but pressure drop becomes unacceptably high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ceramic foam with controlled pore sizes (10-100 micrometers) and porosity (70-95%) to create a porous structure that provides high surface area density for heat transfer while maintaining acceptable pressure drop characteristics. The ceramic foam's porous architecture allows coolant to flow through while providing extensive surface area for thermal exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs ceramic foam material that combines high thermal conductivity with high porosity and controlled pore structure. This composite approach integrates the heat transfer capabilities of dense materials with the flow-friendly porosity of foam structures, achieving both high surface area density and manageable pressure drop.
2Temperature
If surface area density is increased beyond 1000 ft2/ft3, then heat absorption capacity is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes ceramic foam that can be manufactured with controlled pore sizes and porosity parameters, achieving high surface area densities (exceeding 1000 ft2/ft3) through a standardized porous material process rather than complex assembly of fins or metal foam. This approach simplifies manufacturing while achieving superior heat absorption capacity.
3Temperature
If coolant flow rate is increased to absorb more heat from high power electronics, then heat dissipation is improved, but power required for pushing coolant increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic foam structure with its optimized pore sizes and porosity provides high surface area density that enhances heat transfer efficiency. This allows effective heat dissipation from high power electronics at lower coolant flow rates compared to conventional structures, reducing the power required for coolant circulation while maintaining adequate heat dissipation.
4Temperature
If air cooling is used for avionics, then cooling is provided, but system performance penalty increases due to reduced thrust and increased drag
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic foam cold plate provides high surface area density for efficient heat transfer, enabling effective cooling of avionics with reduced coolant flow rates. This decreases the amount of air that must be moved through the environmental control system, thereby reducing the performance penalty on aircraft thrust and range while maintaining adequate cooling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces the amount of cooling air required, minimizing system penalties and enabling effective cooling of both contemporary and future high power electronics while maintaining an operating temperature limit of 160° F, and reduces the weight and fuel consumption of aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
coolant flows through the foam strips... coolant is flowable through a width of the foam strips
Implementation Method 2
enhanced heat transfer surface... increasing the thermal effectiveness by increasing the surface area available for transferring heat to the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary cold plate housing defines an inlet port and an outlet port. A plurality of foam strips are disposed in the housing. Each foam strip suitably has pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and porosity of at least around 80 percent. The foam strips are arranged within the housing so coolant is flowable through a width of the foam strips. Pore size may be around 35 micrometers and porosity may be around ninety percent. Foam may be a ceramic foam that includes silica, aluminum oxide, and aluminum borosilicate fibers. A plurality of plenums may be disposed within the housing. In an application, at least one exemplary cold plate is disposed within a heat exchanger housing intermediate a heat exchanger inlet port and a heat exchanger outlet port such that heat exchanger fluid flows directly over both sides of the cold plate.