Panasonic today announced that it has developed a loop heat pipe (LHP) cooling system equipped with the Panasonic’s unique Jet Explosion Stream Technology (JEST), which uses a high-speed jet stream generated by the rapid expansion of the refrigerant which significantly enhances the cooling performance. This technology optimizes the shape of the surface subjected to heat from the heat source and the refrigerant supply system, and uses the high-speed jet stream generated by the expansion of the refrigerant to efficiently dissipate heat from the heat receiving surface.
Using this technology, the heat pipe has become ready for heat density of up to 390 W/cm² (results from internal experiments). This cooling system can be applied to equipment such as power semiconductors for power conversion systems and supercomputer processing units, where the heat density is expected to rise. The high performance cooling at a density of up to 390 W/cm² has been achieved by applying the technology of generating a high-speed jet stream created by the expansion of the refrigerant. This is about 2.3 times the heat density that can be cooled by existing heat pipes, allowing for cooling systems smaller in size and higher in performance. In addition, this system does not require a drive unit to circulate the refrigerant, contributing to energy saving of the target equipment.