Advanced thermal management of high-stress electronic components

Electrification of transport technology has increased significantly in recent years, driven by a need to reduce local emissions as well as decrease global CO2 production from non-renewable resources. This potential for environmental benefit, coupled with the presence of existing electricity distribution networks, has meant that technology such as battery energy storage and super-capacitors are becoming ever-more common in transport related applications. The increasing use of electricity in this sector provides a range of potential opportunities as well a number of complex challenges. One of the main challenges remains the thermal management of high-stress electrical components within these systems, which need to be kept within specific temperature ranges for reasons of performance, durability and safety. Providing this thermal control within the context of transportation dictates that the solutions employed must have low energy usage, while also being compact with minimal weight penalty. These constraints, coupled with the low temperature differentials often produced, mean that innovative ideas are needed to provide commercially successful solutions. The purpose of the work in this proposal is to theoretically and experimentally investigate the potential of new solutions to this problem, exploring the potential of multi-phase strategies to temperature control.