Efficient immersion cooling for electronic devices based on multi-physics field coupling

Abstract

Efficient cooling of high heat-flux electronic devices involving multi-physics field coupling has become a key challenge. To address these challenges, this paper establishes a multi-physics field coupling heat-transfer model for electronic devices using immersion cooling and serpentine channel cooling. The multi-physics field coupling analysis of electronic devices with different cooling methods is carried out, focusing on the influences of input voltage, inlet coolant mass flow rate, and coolant type. The results indicate that multi-physics field coupling effects in electronic devices lead to a temperature increase of 1.8 %∼17.8 %, a rise in current density of 235 %∼245 %, and a maximum displacement increase of 0.12 μm. Moreover, the temperature, output current, and strain energy density of electronic devices increase with higher input voltage but decrease with higher inlet mass flow rate. Coolant type significantly influences the thermal and mechanical performance of electronic devices but has relatively minor effect on their electrical characteristics. Compared to serpentine channel cooling, immersion cooling reduces discrepancies in temperature, current density, and strain energy density by 23.4 %, 10.8 %, and 70 %, respectively, with and without multi-physics field coupling, effectively mitigating the multi-physics field coupling effect. Under multi-physics field coupling conditions, the thermal management advantages of immersion cooling become increasingly apparent compared to serpentine channel cooling with increasing electric potential, while differences in electrical performance remain minimal.