The optimization of a refrigeration vapor compression system for power microelectronics

The study develops an analytical model of an optimized small scale refrigeration system using vapor compression, with application to the cooling of the electronic components populating a printed circuit board (PCB) in a high-power microelectronics system. The author´s previous study (Chiriac and Chiriac, 2005) evaluated a vapor compression system using an off-the-shelf compressor and associated components, focusing mainly on the thermal feasibility of the non-optimized mechanical refrigeration system and on-chip system-level incorporation. Present investigation focuses on the miniaturization of the evaporator micro-channel structures, designed to fit smaller packages populating PCB. The design takes into account the miniaturized refrigeration system components, and is optimized to address the appropriate power dissipation ranges. The study uses the R-134s refrigerant, which provides the best COP/feasibility ratio, while being the most suitable for microelectronics applications (Phelan et al., 2004). Various micro-channel designs are considered while miniaturizing the evaporator to be incorporated in the vapor compression system. The efficiency of the proposed system is evaluated for various structures, and the optimal design is further identified and compared to previous designs using mechanical compression cooling. The advantages of the optimized refrigeration design are highlighted, establishing a performance vs. size relationship for vapor-compression refrigerators, to serve as the basis for the enhanced cooling of future miniaturized refrigeration applications