The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued Special Notice DARPA-SN-25-69 to announce its interest in research focused on converting waste heat from microsystems into usable electrical power. As microsystems in both commercial and defense applications utilize substantial energy, the heat produced is often discarded. DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) seeks innovative technologies that can effectively harness this waste heat within microsystem packages, thereby improving energy efficiency. The notice serves to inform potential technology developers of this area of interest but does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals, as any unsolicited proposals will not be reviewed. DARPA encourages new entities to engage with them through DARPAConnect, a platform designed to facilitate collaboration and provide resources for developing project ideas. The announcement emphasizes that no classified information should be included in any responses, and any inquiries should reference the specific notice number for clarification. This initiative illustrates DARPA's commitment to fostering advancements in microsystem energy conversion technology, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in defense and commercial sectors.
The document outlines DARPA's initiative titled "Reclaiming all tappable energy with embedded thermal corralling," focusing on the conversion of microsystem waste heat into electrical power. It explores the potential for energy reclamation by addressing significant limitations such as heat spreading and the inadequacy of current reclamation technologies for capturing localized heat in microsystems. The report emphasizes the advancement required in thermal management technologies, highlighting methods like embedded reclamation and effective heat corralling to improve energy conversion efficiency. It indicates a roadmap for evolving current devices to harness low-grade waste heat effectively, estimating a potential increase in efficiency from 25% to 80%. Furthermore, the document suggests that energy reclamation can enhance the performance of various microsystems, including CPUs and GPUs, by leveraging the estimated 84 TWh of reclaimable electricity from American waste heat. This initiative aligns with federal objectives to innovate energy efficiency in technology, making it a reputable candidate for government RFPs and grants aimed at advancing energy harvesting research and applications.