New Material Could Cool Electronics 100 Times More Efficiently
Georgia Tech researchers are working on a new novel material for cooling high-powered military radar gear up to 100 times better than current conductive heat-dissipation technology. Developed in conjunction with Raytheon and DARPA, the material is a composite of copper and diamond, two of the most effective heat-conducting materials. The composite would serve as part of a sandwich of cooling materials called a Thermal Ground Plane, which, combined with a liquid cooling setup, would surround the transmit/receive module in a radar system. Right now, the most high-end copper conductors have a heat conductivity efficiency rating of 200 to 300 watts per meter Kelvin. This new material could potentially have a rating as high as 20,000 watts per meter Kelvin. Because diamond and copper don't bond together particularly well, researchers are still working on designs to create an effective final material, but they're confident their concept will...