Use of graphite foam materials in pumped liquid, two phase cooling, cold plates

摘要

An improved cooling system provides cooling away from the surface of electrical and electronic components, by providing an available heat transfer surface area many times greater than that of a convoluted fin structure. The component to be cooled is in thermal contact with a cold plate evaporator device, and a graphite material is associated with the cold plate device. Refrigerant is circulated through the graphite material and the cold plate evaporator device, and the liquid refrigerant is at least partially evaporated by the heat generated by the component. Due to the open nature of the graphite material, the permeability of liquids and vapors is high, allowing for low pressure loss while still maintaining sufficient two phase flow to carry heat away from the electronics.