Marco Graffiedi, a fifth-year doctoral candidate at MIT\u2019s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, is investigating a process that could unlock next-generation nuclear reactors and spacecraft. <\/p>\n
Quenching is a highly efficient heat transfer process that could enhance the world\u2019s most efficient cooling systems. <\/p>\n
The process could, for example, enable efficient refueling in space \u2014 one of the problems Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX currently aims to tackle with its Starship program.<\/p>\n
Quenching for next-generation cooling systems<\/p>\n
Quenching rapidly removes heat from surfaces, making it ideal for next-generation cooling systems. However, when it comes to use in space and in nuclear cores, it would have to work with extreme efficiency.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Graffiedi\u2019s work comes in. NASA, the primary sponsor of the MIT researcher\u2019s work, aims to prevent cryogenic fuel from boiling. During spaceflight, this causes fuel loss, and it requires the spacecraft to vent vapor to avoid tank overpressurization.<\/p>\n
Graffiedi aims to overcome these problems, an MIT News<\/a> report<\/a> explains. Graffiedi\u2019s work centers on accelerating the collapse of the insulating vapor film formed during cryogenic cooling \u2014 known as the Leidenfrost effect.<\/p>\n By studying quenching mechanics at the microscopic level, Graffiedi aims to enable faster refueling in orbit. He also believes his work could enhance nuclear core cooling and data center cooling systems on Earth.<\/p>\n Separately, Graffiedi is exploring immersion cooling for data centers using dielectric fluids \u2014 non-conductive liquids that remove heat through boiling. These fluids have lower critical heat flux (CHF) than water, limiting efficiency. In a recent paper published in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering, Graffiedi demonstrated that high electric fields can boost CHF and enable gravity-independent boiling \u2014 vital for electric vehicles and high-performance computing.<\/p>\n Improved cooling is in high demand<\/p>\n Efficient cooling is high on the agenda for some of the world\u2019s biggest technology firms. According to a Goldman Sachs\u00a0report<\/a>, AI-driven energy demand could rise by 165 percent as soon as 2030.<\/p>\n A team of researchers from Singapore, as well as former Google head Eric Schmidt, recently suggested building data centers in orbit<\/a>. However, this technology is unproven, meaning more efficient cooling systems on Earth are still required.<\/p>\n