Extended Data Fig. 8: High-power thermal management application of colloidal LMs.
From: Mechanochemistry-mediated colloidal liquid metals for electronic device cooling at kilowatt levels
a, Optical picture showing the large-scale thermal management device. b, Schematic diagram of the housing module. It consists of a stainless-steel cover plate, a rubber adjust ring, two rubber seal rings, a quartz glass window and a stainless-steel shell. c, Infrared camera recorded temperature results of the thermal management system. These images highlight a prominent temperature gradient in the thickness direction after the use of TIMs, particularly adjacent to the interface region. d, Average temperature curves of the copper-block heat source after employing different commercial silicone greases, at a heat flux of 200 W/cm2 and coolant flow rate of 2.1 L/min. The upper limit of the temperature is set at 140 oC to prevent any damage to the temperature sensors. e, Average temperature curves of the copper-block heat source after employing different modified LMs, at a heat flux of 200 W/cm2 and coolant flow rate of 2.1 L/min. Herein, the LM/AlN composite denotes the sample fabricated by direct mechanical stirring, without the gradient AlN–LM at the heterointerface. The colloidal LM-1 µm, 2 min sample showed a Reff of 0.42 mm2 K/W and a BLT of 10.5 μm, the colloidal LM-5 µm, 2 min sample had a Reff of 0.43 mm2 K/W and a BLT of 13.5 μm, the colloidal LM-30 µm, 2 min sample had a Reff of 0.86 mm2 K/W and a BLT of 50 μm, and the colloidal LM-80 µm, 2 min sample had a Reff of 1.83 mm2 K/W and a BLT of 114 μm, at 40 psi. f, Node temperature results of the heat source after 30 minutes of heating at a coolant flow rate of 2.1 L/min, as a function of heat flux. Tmax and Tmin marked in horizontal lines are the maximum and minimum node temperatures, while data in line represents the average node temperature. g, Heat extraction efficiency of the thermal management device employing different TIMs and at conditions of varying heat flux, at a coolant flow rate of 2.1 L/min. h, Maximum heat extraction power of the large thermal management device after employing different TIMs, at the average working temperature below 100 oC. Direct contact shows heat extraction power of 177 W at the heat flux of 50 W/cm2. Employing LM/AlN composite shows heat extraction power of 765 W at the maximum heat flux of 90 W/cm2. Thermal greases, including Noctua NT-H2, SYY 157, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, and DOWSIL TC-5026, exhibit heat extraction power of 1034 W at the maximum heat flux of 100 W/cm2, 941 W at the maximum heat flux of 100 W/cm2, 1180 W at the maximum heat flux of 120 W/cm2, 1196 W at the maximum heat flux of 120 W/cm2, respectively. Colloidal LMs, including incorporating AlN particles of 1 μm, 5 μm, 30 μm, and 80 μm, demonstrate heat extraction power of 2715 W, 2752 W, 2760 W, and 2685 W, at the maximum heat flux of 200 W/cm2. i, Interface thermal resistance between the heat source and microchannel heat sink with different interface conditions, including direct contact, employing the silicone grease Noctua NT-H2 and colloidal LM as the TIM. The interface thermal resistance at the thermal management device was determined at six different positions according to the heat flux and temperature difference at the specific position.
