Research Teams Combine Technologies to Produce Novel Power Module and Cooling System
Researchers integrated a large-footprint microchannel cooler and multi-chip silicon carbide (SiC) power module, combining two independent efforts to produce a single solution. The work was supported by the Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at the University of Illinois.
Simulations at Stanford University, a POETS partner, showed that the micro-cooler achieved a decrease of 25°C at the junction of the device compared with conventional thermal management. The achievement indicates that integration of the two advances can result in lower costs and better heat dissipation in tightly packaged electronics.
Led by a team at the University of Arkansas (another Center partner), POETS researchers had earlier fabricated the multi-chip SiC power module, which is designed to take advantage of SiC’s better thermal characteristics. Another team led by Stanford researchers constructed a flow-loop system for high flow rates, up to 5-to-6 liters per minute. Software controls the system, with fail-safe modes that produce a robust and reliable system.
Combining the technologies into a single solution was made possible by the collaborative initiative at POETS.
