Millimetre polymer hollow fibres serving as cooling channels in a heat exchanger earned the Brno University of Technology the Special Prize of the Gold Medal Committee. The prize was awarded to researchers of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the gala evening on 4 October.

Miniature polymer hollow fibers can work as cooling channels of the heat exchanger. Those on display at the International Engineering Fair in Brno have an outer diameter of only one millimeter, with a wall only 0.1 millimetres thick. "Unlike any commercially available metal exchangers, the proposed design is lighter, electrically non-conductive, made of cheap materials and is generally more environmentally friendly, because the extrusion of polymeric hollow fibers produces five times less carbon dioxide than the commonly used aluminum," Jiří Hvožďa from the FSI’s Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Flow described the technology.

The heatsink is able to keep the system in acceptable conditions even during extreme power consumptions. "Specifically, even in case that the batteries are discharged in just 15 minutes, the exchanger can maintain the maximum temperature below 30°C and keep the maximum temperature difference across the batteries below 3°C and this all with pressure losses of up to 400 Pa. Compared to the technologies used today, this is a great achievement," adds Hvožďa, adding that the technology could find use in the automotive industry of the future. This industry, which is increasingly moving towards electromobility, is trying, among other things, to deal with the issue of effective battery cooling.

The fair takes place from 4 to 7 October at the Brno Exhibition Centre. Visitors can find the stand of the Brno University of Technology in Hall A1, Stand No. 26. More about the BUT stand here.