Electro-kinetic microchannel cooling system for desktop computers

The requirements for thermal management in high performance desktop computers are rapidly outpacing the capabilities of the best commercially available active and passive air cooling solutions. The problem lies in three compounding trends: a) higher average chip power density, b) higher peak power densities in chip hotspots, and c) more stringent system boundary conditions. Pumped liquid cooling system is a promising alternative to address these thermal management challenges. We present here an electro-kinetic microchannel cooling system for desktop computers that can handle average power density greater than 150 W/cm/sup 2/ and hotspots with peak power densities on the order of 500 W/cm/sup 2/ and above. The cooling system features a microchannel heat exchanger for high heat flux removal capability, an electrokinetic pump for delivering fluid at the required flow rate and pressure drop, and a liquid-air heat exchanger. The microchannel heat exchanger is well suited for hotspot cooling on microprocessors, and the solid-state electro-kinetic pump is silent, compact, and promises high reliability through its lack of moving parts. This manuscript describes simulations and experiments on a system prototype, which, when fully integrated, fits well within the boundary conditions required for high performance desktop computers.