loopheat

Loopheat is a term used in thermal management to describe a closed-loop liquid cooling approach that removes heat from a device by circulating a coolant through a local heat source and a remote heat exchanger. The term is used in industry and academia to refer to systems where the coolant is constantly recirculated rather than discharged after a single use. It can apply to single-phase fluid loops or two-phase loops that leverage phase change to boost heat transfer.

Typical configuration includes a pump, reservoir, cold plate or heat sink directly bonded to the heat-generating component, tubing, and a remote radiator or condenser. The coolant absorbs heat at the source, travels through the loop to the radiator where heat is released to the environment, and then returns to the source. Control systems monitor temperature, flow rate, and pressure, adjusting pump speed or valve positions to maintain target conditions.

Variants include microchannel cold plates, integrated loop heat pipes, and loops coupled with phase-change materials. Two-phase loopheat systems can achieve higher effective thermal conductivity and are used in high heat flux applications, while single-phase loops are simpler and less prone to certain failure modes. Reliability and leak prevention are common design concerns, along with fill, bleed, and maintenance requirements.

Applications span high-performance computing, gaming workstations, data centers, electric vehicle power electronics, and aerospace where compact, efficient heat removal is essential.