710641Manufacture of complex geometry thermal management hardware based on porous copperClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKThermal management plays a critical role in dissipating heat from microcontrollers, FPGAs, LED displays, lasers and power electronics, enhancing functionality by enabling increased component density, whilst reducing the energy requirement. The electrification of aircraft and cars - as well as the rise of high-power military radar, optical communications and faster CPUs - has led to an increasing number of applications with very high power dissipation requirements, within heavily restricted space envelopes. Versarien Technologies Limited have therefore developed a novel porous copper - VersarienCu (VCu) - for which simple finless heat sinks offer up to 10x more effective cooling than a comparable micro-channel heat sink. VTL aim to prove the concept of a novel manufacturing process for VCu porous copper, allowing the manufacture of complex geometry VCu heat sinks. To establish the feasibility of an enabling technology for the most demanding cooling and spatial requirements, with a step change in the minimum feature size, cooling power and manufacturability, the project will establish the precise spatial requirements of complex heat sinks, demonstrate potential heat dissipation through simulation and explore all aspects of the manufacturing process flow. The project will provide concept heat sinks with increased thermal performance, qualified by simulation, for industry engagement and technology demonstration.