Project Title: Additively Manufactured (AM) Cold Plate
Project Summary: In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, this project builds on previous research to optimize cold plate designs for thermal management in high-powered radar systems. The team’s focus
was on developing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) simulations in Ansys Fluent to validate experimental results and improve predictive modeling for heat transfer and pressure drop. A continuation of the ’23-’24 academic year capstone project, this study addresses challenges in geometry transfer from Creo to Ansys, refinements in heat flux application, and discrepancies between CHT simulations and physical testing. Key findings indicate that alternative heat
application methods significantly impact accuracy, with Boundary Condition Case 3 (BC3) yielding the most reliable results. Future work involves simulating additional geometries, testing alternative refrigerants, and refining experimental setups to minimize deviations between simulation and real-world performance.
