Revolutionizing microelectronics cooling: Thermal management with nano-enhanced PCMs, hybrid cooling, conductive foams, and porous structures

Electronic cooling has become crucial for applications in electric vehicles, aerospace, power plants, and high-performance computing, where managing heat generation is vital for operational efficiency. Direct and indirect cooling approaches, along with advanced materials like carbon, metal, and PVDF foam, nanofluids, and phase change materials (PCMs), offer promising solutions for implementing thermal challenges. This review recommends a comprehensive assessment of cooling technologies, highlighting their role in improving energy efficiency and supporting clean energy transitions while tackling challenges like stability, scalability, and material properties. The role of nanofluids and PCMs in thermal regulation is emphasized, as they efficiently manage transient heat loads by storing and releasing thermal energy, maintaining optimum operating temperatures, and mitigating thermal excursions. Advanced configurations, namely heat pipes and micro-channel heat exchangers demonstrate exceptional thermal management performance in high-heat flux scenarios. Heat sinks with their interconnected pore structures, enhance heat transfer through combined conduction and convective mechanisms. The integration of advanced materials substantially enhances thermal conductivity, heat dissipation, improved thermal stability, and operational efficiency. The integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in thermal systems augments predictive modeling and adaptive control, leading to enhanced reliability and prolonged operational durability of system components and overall functionality.