ACT has received a contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) of Philadelphia to develop a heat spreader technology that can be integrated into high power electronic modules for effective thermal management. The high performance heat spreader will be based on proprietary heat transfer technology and is expected to outperform traditional heat spreaders either made of high conductivity materials such as copper, diamond and diamond composites, or using capillary two-phase flow principles such as heat pipes and vapor chambers.
“The Navy’s vision for future warships requires integrated power systems, electromagnetic weapons and high power radars”, said Mr. Michael Kuszewski, the Technical Monitor on the contract at NSWC, “The solid state power conversion inherent in these systems produce heat loads in excess of those in today’s shipboard electrical systems. The power density of the heat generating losses in these devices will eventually surpass 1,000W/cm2. Existing technologies are limited to cooling heat fluxes of approximately 100W/cm2.”
Dr. Jon Zuo, the Principal Investigator on the contract and the Chief Technical Officer of ACT, said, “The goal of this program is to demonstrate the high performance heat spreader technology for cooling 1,000W/cm2 heat fluxes in a shipboard power conversion system environment. In addition to the thermal performance, we are also going to address materials compatibility and system integration issues with the Navy’s zonal system architecture.”
ACT is a high technology small business specializing in heat transfer technologies. Founded in January 2003 and headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, ACT’s mission is to develop innovative thermal technologies and provide technology based thermal products to customers in electronics, energy systems, aerospace, military and government sectors. ACT’s two main business areas are Technology Development and Engineering Services & Products. The Technology Development business undertakes both externally and internally sponsored research and development activities. The Engineering Services & Products business designs and fabricates thermal devices and systems that satisfy customers’ specific thermal and mechanical requirements. More information can be obtained by contacting ACT at: info@1-act.com