Liquid-filled chips cool like mini-fridges

pr0digal jenius · Apr 18, 2005, 09:39 PM

Purdue University can put a refrigerator in the palm of your hand.

Researchers at the West Lafayette, Ind., university's mechanical engineering department are testing out "microchannel heatsinks" that could cool components inside lasers, weapons or future computers with a series of channels filled with chilled, circulating fluids.

The newfangled heatsinks only take up about 1 square inch of space, meaning that several could fit into tight spaces to draw away heat. The channels inside the device that carry the liquid measure about 300 microns in diameter.

Microfluidics--making chips, or chip-size devices, with small coils for circulating liquid--is moving from a futuristic curiosity toward a compelling potential market.
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Source/Read More: C|Net News

pr0digal jenius · Apr 18, 2005, 09:40 PM

But if it fails..most things expand when the heat up

Dom · Apr 18, 2005, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0digal jenius

But if it fails..most things expand when the heat up

If they don't fully 'fill' it there would be room for expansion.

pr0digal jenius · Apr 18, 2005, 11:03 PM

but if they don't fill it enough, when it shrinks in the cold, it could become inadequate

Dom · Apr 18, 2005, 11:10 PM

Then that will be the engineer's job to work out.

El Kapitano · Apr 18, 2005, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0digal jenius

but if they don't fill it enough, when it shrinks in the cold, it could become inadequate

You're on a roll tonight PJ keep it up

BTW is 300 microns satisfactory?

Apr 18, 2005, 09:39 PM	#1
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	Liquid-filled chips cool like mini-fridges Purdue University can put a refrigerator in the palm of your hand. Researchers at the West Lafayette, Ind., university's mechanical engineering department are testing out "microchannel heatsinks" that could cool components inside lasers, weapons or future computers with a series of channels filled with chilled, circulating fluids. The newfangled heatsinks only take up about 1 square inch of space, meaning that several could fit into tight spaces to draw away heat. The channels inside the device that carry the liquid measure about 300 microns in diameter. Microfluidics--making chips, or chip-size devices, with small coils for circulating liquid--is moving from a futuristic curiosity toward a compelling potential market. _______________ Source/Read More: C\|Net News

Apr 18, 2005, 09:40 PM	Thread Starter #2
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	But if it fails..most things expand when the heat up

Apr 18, 2005, 11:03 PM	Thread Starter #4
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	but if they don't fill it enough, when it shrinks in the cold, it could become inadequate

Apr 18, 2005, 11:10 PM	#5
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Then that will be the engineer's job to work out.