Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

Keep fuel cells cool

By Frank Tobe | October 7, 2014

Share

ThermacoreOperating without moving parts, heat pipes are a thermal management technology used in military/aerospace and commercial applications because of their thermal efficiency, simplicity and reliability. The Therma-Base is a flat, ultra-thin heat pipe developed by Thermacore with the NASA Glenn Research Center under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract. The titanium-water vapor chamber Therma-Base is for cooling proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells used for primary and backup power for mission—critical space—based applications.

As passive thermal management devices, heat pipes use the evaporation and condensation cycle of a working fluid (in this case water) within an evacuated, vacuum-tight containment shell to transfer heat to an area where it can be rejected. At 1.2 mm thick, this design is among the thinnest vapor chambers in the industry. It uses a titanium shell and a sintered titanium powder wick structure for high heat flux capability (greater than
60 W/cm2) and thermal conductivity (greater than 5,000 W/m·K) — an order of magnitude greater than typical solid copper solutions.

“For PEM fuel cells, the Therma-Base vapor chamber can simplify and improve the reliability of the bulky and complex pumped liquid cooling solutions that typically consume 10 to 20% of the parasitic power,” said Nelson J. Gernert, Thermacore Vice President, Engineering and Technology. “It can be used for direct die attachment to the electronics, improving thermal spreading, which allows for further miniaturization of the electronics for both military/aerospace and commercial applications.”

More specifically, when the Therma-Base is constructed with materials that match the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the electronic materials, it can be used in applications for direct die attachment, assuring reliability of the electronics while increasing performance.

A CTE-matched Therma-Base vapor chamber that uses a copper/moly/copper system was applied to transmit/receive modules used in radar applications. Initial modules made with this technology demonstrated a 40% reduction in junction-to-case temperature difference. Other applications for direct die attachment with CTE-matching Therma-Base include light emitting diodes (LEDs), batteries, power amplifiers, monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC), insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), traveling wave tubes (TWTs), and spin-filter transistors (SFTs), among others.

Thermacore
www.thermacore.com


Filed Under: Semiconductor, Electronics • electrical
Tagged With: Thermacore
 

Tell Us What You Think!

Related Articles Read More >

molex-premo-flex
Premo-Flex one-touch flat flexible cable (FFC) jumpers
Heilind Electronics expands Hirose offering with D.FL75 professional video series micro coaxial connector
Heilind Electronics expands cable management portfolio with HellermannTyton In-Line Ratchet P-Clamp
Heilind Electronics announces Technology Now: Power Up virtual expo

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Global supply needs drive increased manufacturing footprint development
  • How to Increase Rotational Capacity for a Retaining Ring
  • Cordis high resolution electronic proportional pressure controls
  • WAGO’s custom designed interface wiring system making industrial applications easier
  • 10 Reasons to Specify Valve Manifolds
  • Case study: How a 3D-printed tool saved thousands of hours and dollars

Design World Podcasts

April 11, 2022
Going small with 3D printing
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings