cuantico
Patented Thermal IP

Cooling Technologies
Built for the Battlefield

Cuantico holds patented IP in forced-air recirculation, heat pipe integration, and pin-fin thermal management — all validated by ANSYS CFD modeling and MIL-STD-810H testing.

Patent Drawings — Cooling Architecture (Figs. 1–16)

Patent drawing fig 1
Patent drawing fig 2
Patent drawing fig 3
Patent drawing fig 4

Patent drawings illustrate the patented Blade-Jet® forced-air system, heat pipe network, pin-fin modules, and backplane thermal baseplate.

Patented

Blade-Jet® Internal Forced-Air System

The Blade-Jet® system is Cuantico's patented internal forced-air recirculation technology. An array of micro-jet nozzles injects 6 CFM of air per slot directly onto VPX payload card surfaces, actively breaking the thermal boundary layer and eliminating hot spots. The phased array can target individual "hot cards" with increased airflow. The sealed cavity remains dry and EMI-tight throughout.

CU41 56W/slot @ 71°C · 120W/slot @ 55°C
CU41S 70W/slot @ 71°C · 150W/slot @ 55°C

Key Features

  • 6 CFM directed airflow per VPX slot with micro-jet nozzle array
  • Phased Blade-Jet® array — dynamic hot-card targeting and load balancing
  • Patented sealed internal recirculation (dry air cavity, EMI-tight)
  • Eliminates card-surface hot spots and temperature gradients
  • Jet velocity optimization: 15–25 m/s for boundary layer disruption
  • Compatible with all VITA 48.2 payload cards (3.2" × 5.25")
  • Battleshort override capability for thermal emergency operation
  • Integrated with heat pipe network for redundant cooling paths
  • Manifold design for uniform distribution (±5% airflow balance)
  • Low acoustic signature (<65 dB @ full airflow)
  • MTBF: 50,000+ hours on bearing-less motor design
  • Operational from -40°C to +85°C ambient
Patented

Heat Pipe Network — Flat & Round

Each Cuantico enclosure integrates a tailored heat pipe network machined into the structural aluminium baseplate and side walls. Flat heat pipes spread heat laterally from high-power components across the enclosure walls. Round heat pipes transport heat axially to the external finned exchangers. The network is optimised per product using ANSYS CFD/FEA modelling.

MTBF 500,000 hrs @ 25°C
Op. Temp. -40°C to +85°C

Key Features

  • CU41: 16 flat + 7 round heat pipes (total capacity >600W dissipation)
  • CU41S: 23 flat heat pipes with optimized axial/radial routing
  • CU82: 32+ heat pipes for high-density 8-slot platforms
  • Flat pipes (10mm × 3mm) for lateral spreading across baseplate
  • Round pipes (6mm OD, 8mm OD) for axial transport to exchangers
  • Sintered copper wick structure with 99.95% purity copper
  • Parametric CFD/FEA optimization using ANSYS thermal simulation workflows.
  • Vapor core diameter optimization for -40°C startup performance
  • Integrated into CNC-machined Al 6082-T6 baseplate grooves
  • Thermal resistance: 0.002–0.008 °C/W per meter length
  • No-pump operation: passive capillary-driven circulation
  • MTBF: 500,000+ hours, proven in aerospace applications
  • Compatible with liquid fill optimization for vacuum/altitude operation
  • Operating range: -55°C to +135°C (extended qualification available)
Proprietary Design

Pin-Fin & Finned Wall Heat Exchangers

External pin-fin aluminium modules and finned side walls dramatically increase the effective surface area for natural and forced convection. The splayed and straight pin-fin arrangements are optimised for airflow direction and density. Combined with the heat pipe network, they provide the final thermal resistance leg from enclosure walls to ambient air — all without exposing payload cavities.

PSU Cooling ≤650W dissipation
Payload ≤600W aggregate

Key Features

  • Splayed and straight pin-fin arrays (2–4mm pin spacing)
  • Integrated finned side-wall and top-panel heat exchangers
  • Pin height optimization: 15–25mm per airflow velocity
  • Precision 5-axis CNC-machined Al 6082-T6 extrusions
  • External fin surface area multiplier: 10–20x vs. flat panel
  • Natural convection capability: 50–80W dissipation (no fan)
  • Forced convection enhancement: compatible with platform airflow
  • Thermal contact resistance: <0.001 °C/W via thermal interface
  • EMI gaskets on all external panel joints (MIL-DTL-5541)
  • Sealed internal payload cavity — dry air environment
  • Anodized finish (Type II or Type III) for corrosion protection
  • IP67 sealing option with conformal gasket design
  • Pressure-drop optimized for 0.5–2.0 inH₂O fan operation
  • Modular exchangers for field replacement and maintenance
  • Validated thermal performance via wind-tunnel testing
Patented

Custom Thermal Spreaders — 3U & 6U Module Assemblies

Cuantico designs and manufactures custom thermal spreader modules for 3U VPX and 6U payload cards — high-conductivity copper and aluminum assemblies that distribute concentrated heat from GPGPUs, processors, and RF components across engineered surface areas. Custom depths (20mm, 30mm, 40mm, 50mm+) accommodate mission-specific payload configurations. Integrated with heat pipes for system-level thermal management.

Material High-conductivity copper or 6061-T6 aluminum
Thermal Resistance 0.08–0.15 °C/W (copper) · 0.12–0.22 °C/W (aluminum)
Depth Range 20mm to 60mm+ (custom)
Op. Temp. -55°C to +125°C

Key Features

  • 3U VPX spreader height: per VITA 48.2 slot height
  • 6U single-slot spreaders for CU1 and custom modules
  • Direct solder or brazed attachment to high-power chips
  • Precision CNC-machined base for flatness <0.1mm
  • Integrated heat pipe contact surfaces (flat or cylindrical)
  • Custom fin arrays for passive + active cooling hybrid systems
  • Copper (200+ W/mK) or aluminum (180+ W/mK) material options
  • Anodized or nickel-plated finish for corrosion resistance
  • AI-optimized FEA/CFD thermal modeling per application
  • Validated to MIL-STD-810H thermal cycling (-55°C to +125°C)
  • Custom mounting interfaces (solder pads, thermal vias, screws)