Development of microchannels and thermoelectrics for cooling in electronics

开发用于电子设备冷却的微通道和热电材料

• 批准号: 459062-2013
• 负责人: Chatzis, Ioannis
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Engage Grants Program
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=542149
• 关键词: Development; microchannels; thermoelectrics; cooling; electronics

Tornado Spectral Systems is an early-stage company that develops innovative, proprietary devices that provide end users with improved tools to detect and characterize spectral phenomena (studying interactions between matter and radiated energy) in biological, clinical, industrial, and other applications. The company is currently developing devices used in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a method used to image various samples by detecting signals from scattered waves of light. In order to be a leader in the marketplace, higher resolution images with fewer distortions are desired. One way to improve quality is to lower the temperature at the detector as it will reduce "noise" in the final image. However, current options for detector cooling are limited to standard large solutions. This collaboration aims to leverage experience from the University of Waterloo to develop advanced cooling solutions to expand the viable application space for such devices. The idea is to use strategically placed thermoelectric devices (miniature cooling devices) on the detector that will carry out on-the-spot cooling and couple them with microchannels that will act as heat sinks on the backside. Thermoelectric micropeltiers and similar devices are capable of providing localized sub-ambient cooling allowing for very focused active cooling. Also, microchannels can provide superior heat dissipation over standard heat sinks by leveraging both contact surface area and phase change of the coolant. The project aim will be to maintain a stable temperature at the detector of at least -10°C or cooler. In addition, the region of desired cooling is rather small (on the order of microns). This is why microchannels and miniature thermoelectric devices are essential. The result is an enhanced product that expands the viable market for these devices known as spectrometers. Higher quality spectroscopic data in the medical industry, for example, can revolutionize detection and early diagnosis of illnesses in patients and potentially save lives.

龙卷风光谱系统是一家早期公司，开发了创新的专有设备，可为最终用户提供改进的工具，以检测和表征生物学，临床，工业和其他应用中的光谱现象（研究物质与辐射能量之间的相互作用）。该公司目前正在开发用于光学相干断层扫描（OCT）的设备，该方法通过检测来自散射光波的信号来对各种样品进行成像。为了成为市场的领导者，需要更少的扭曲图像。提高质量的一种方法是降低检测器的温度，因为它将减少最终图像中的“噪声”。但是，当前的检测器冷却选择仅限于标准大解决方案。这项合作旨在利用滑铁卢大学的经验来开发先进的冷却解决方案，以扩大此类设备的可行应用空间。这个想法是在检测器上使用策略性放置的热电设备（微型冷却设备），该设备将进行现场冷却，并将它们与微通道搭配起来，这些微通道将充当后面的散热器。热电微孔室和类似的设备能够提供局部的亚镜子冷却，从而可以进行非常集中的主动冷却。同样，微通道可以通过利用接触表面积和冷却剂的相变，可以比标准散热器散热。该项目的目的是保持至少-10°C或冷却器的检测器的稳定温度。另外，所需的冷却区域很小（在微米的顺序上）。这就是为什么微通道和微型热电设备至关重要的原因。结果是一种增强的产品，可扩展这些设备称为光谱仪的可行市场。例如，医学行业的更高质量的光谱数据可以彻底改变患者疾病的检测和早期诊断，并可能挽救生命。