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Optimization Design of a High-Efficiency Cold Plate for Thermal Management Using Additive Manufacturing

  • Congrui Ma
  • , Junren Mao
  • , Hongzhou Zhu
  • , Jikun Qian
  • , Shanshan Long*
  • , Yi Nie
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Cold plates play a pivotal role in dissipating heat and maintaining the optimal operating temperature of electronic devices. In this paper, we propose an innovative cold-plate design that leverages the geometric freedom offered by additive manufacturing (AM). The design features a bionic configuration composed of tailored micro-fins and porous guide walls. The fins adopt a leaf-vein–inspired pattern with turbo-fan–shaped elements, while curved guide walls channel high-velocity coolant to edge zones. COMSOL simulations demonstrate that the design achieves an average base-plate temperature reduction from 306 K to 301 K as the flow rate increases from 1 L/min to 2 L/min. A 68% improvement in cooling performance over conventional fin-type cold plates was observed, with a mass of just 21g and a thermal resistance as low as 0.0274 K/W. This bio-inspired, lightweight solution adheres to AM fabrication constraints while maintaining low pressure drop and enhanced cooling performance.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMoving Integrated Product Development to Service Clouds in the Global Economy - Proceedings of the 21st ISPE Inc. International Conference on Concurrent Engineering, CE 2014
EditorsXuelin Lei
PublisherIOS Press BV
Pages35-42
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781643686479
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Mar 2026
Event16th International Conference of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, ICMAE 2025 - Rome, Italy
Duration: 15 Jul 202518 Jul 2025

Publication series

NameAdvances in Transdisciplinary Engineering
Volume87
ISSN (Print)2352-751X
ISSN (Electronic)2352-7528

Conference

Conference16th International Conference of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, ICMAE 2025
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityRome
Period15/07/2518/07/25

Free Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • bionic design
  • Cold plate
  • thermal management

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Algebra and Number Theory
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Strategy and Management
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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