Phononic Inc - Experts & Thought Leaders

Alex Guichard, the Vice President of Product Marketing at Phononic, was recently interviewed by Laser Focus World to discuss Phononic’s thermoelectric cooling technology for LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). This remote sensing method uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges, acting as ‘the eyes’ for autonomous vehicles. The automotive LiDAR industry is a very crowded market with numerous startups jockeying for top position. Phononic’s LiDAR TECs This is an exciting prospect for Phononic, with their cool LiDAR TECs providing unmatched safety and reliability for autonomous vehicles. If LiDAR continues to improve with scale, as many anticipate, it represents an enabling technology capable of changing business models for OEMs and changing how cars are made available to the market. Sensing an opportunity When lasers are pulsing at high frequencies, they need to be very high power and possess well-controlled wavelengths The decade-old Durham, North Carolina-based manufacturer, Phononic is excited about the potential. Working with fiber-optic communications helped Phononic establish a niche, enabling high-end, high-data-rate, high-reach fiber-optic components, with precision-controlled temperature management, to lasers and detectors within the transceivers. Automotive LiDAR has a very similar need. After all, when lasers are pulsing at high frequencies, they need to be very high power and possess well-controlled wavelengths, while also operating over a broad temperature range. LiDAR sensors LiDAR sensors also need to exhibit very long range, with a quick refresh or frame rate, with the ability to provide a high-resolution 3D image of its field of view. “It is a lot to ask from one sensor coupled with the need to work in rain or shine, and across a broad temperature range, all without being flooded by sunlight or interference from other LiDAR systems that will likely be on the road,” said Phononic’s Alex Guichard, adding “It also has to be incredibly reliable, since it’s a safety-critical system.” Wide deployment of LiDAR technology As LiDAR finds its footing and possibly captures market share, the successful approach could presumably take two very different directions. Alex Guichard said, “The first being the low-cost, low-range, low-performance systems, which depend on flash LiDAR using pixels. They’re trying to take that low-cost approach today, with the goal of bringing the performance high enough to deliver needed levels of autonomy.” Alternatively, there are systems on the market currently that are already offering high performance, including the ability to achieve the specs and requirements for high levels of autonomy. Of course, this approach currently has a much higher price tag. “Yet, the thinking is, with more players focused on further innovation, the possibility exists to drive costs out of the already capable systems, while also maintaining the existing performance the advantage,” stated Alex Guichard. Notable investments in high-performance approaches But, notable investments in high-performance approaches are gaining steam Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to tell which school of thought will win, or if it will be another technology altogether that automakers ultimately adopt. But, notable investments in high-performance approaches are gaining steam. All this activity is good news for Phononic. After all, a predictable, precise, and consistent temperature is crucial, no matter what is happening within the operating environment. Solving the challenge Reliability is obviously a huge requirement and big concern, considering the temperature ranges sensors need to be, in order to be able to not just survive, but operate for an extended period. Alex Guichard adds, “They operate past the boiling temperature of water—and compound semiconductor components like lasers and detectors don’t love that sort of environment.” Local thermal environment regulator Phononic’s primary technology offering acts as a local thermal environment regulator for the compound semiconductor component, addressing reliability since the laser itself is not exposed to such dramatic temperature swings.  When combining long range, wide field of view, high refresh rate, and high resolution, a signal-to-noise problem exists. “The four qualities are fundamentally at odds. If you try to improve one, you’re probably going to squeeze another,” said Alex Guichard, adding “Active cooling could improve detector sensitivity, as well as the stability and steady-state power output of the laser.” Overarching issues We know the operation is very similar to fiber-optic communications, but we are focused on understanding the differences" Constant learning - At this point, no one knows the requirements. Alex Guichard stated, “We know the operation is very similar to fiber-optic communications, but we are focused on understanding the differences.” He adds, “For instance, lasers and automotive LiDAR sensors require much higher power and the operating temperature ranges are more extreme. We’re starting to understand how much more of an extreme environment it is and how it impacts our devices. We need to figure out how much further we can push our offering.” Expecting the unknowns What will the adoption rate look like? What’s the anticipated design cycle? As ABI suggests, market uptake isn’t going to reach kind of critical mass for at least another five years - making any investment a long-term play. Alex Guichard concludes, “Some sort of LiDAR sensing, some sort of very detailed, high-resolution 3D Point Cloud technology is necessary. And, we believe to achieve the requirements for such high levels of autonomy, you actually need a cool LiDAR.”

The pandemic and shift to home dining and takeout changed the recipe for the food supply chain. Here’s how food companies are devouring new challenges. As more food travels directly to consumers rather than moving on pallets from distribution centers to stores, maintaining the cold chain becomes more complicated and challenging. Restrictions "One reason is a shortage of technicians who have earned the necessary certifications in these systems," says Dana Krug, Vice President and General Manager, food and beverage, with Phononic, which provides solid-state cooling and heating technology. "Some regulations now restrict passive cooling, like gel packs or dry ice," he adds. Phononic’s actively-cooled totes "Phononic’s actively-cooled totes, introduced in fall 2021, provide on-demand cooling and reduce the need for mammoth, expensive freezers and refrigerators," Krug says. They use water and carbon dioxide as the coolant, eliminating the need for toxic refrigerants. Three of the top 10 grocers and the leading automation partners for micro-fulfillment centers are currently using them, the company reports.

Phononic’s Intelligent Actively-Cooled Tote was recently featured in the July issue of Frozen and Refrigerated Buyer magazine. From the article: “COVID-19 accelerated e-commerce food purchases, but refrigerated and frozen fulfillment is often executed poorly. Food safety, product handing and cold chain integrity all need improvement. Final mile to the consumer’s door is especially complex and costly.”

A focus of research and development in the HVAC arena has been to develop alternative materials and technologies that requires less energy to function while still providing a benefit to regulate temperature. More passive approaches to regulating temperature offer green benefits and yield new components in systems to regulate temperatures in the future. Here are some examples and a glimpse of what’s to come. Phase-change materials have drawn interest because of their ability to change their physical state depending on the temperature in the environment. When PCMs store heat, they convert from solid to liquid, and vice versa when they release heat. Providing scalable opportunities Phase-change material (PCM) composites can regulate the temperature inside buildings using a simple and cost-effective manufacturing process. The composites can be added to building materials such as paint or can be 3D-printed as home accents to integrate into indoor environments. By augmenting climate control strategies, they can help to lessen the burden on struggling power grids. These materials are passive components that require no electricity to regulate temperature Using the PCM composites provides scalable opportunities to regulate temperatures passively in both new buildings and existing structures. These materials are passive components that require no electricity to regulate temperature. Researchers at Texas A&M University combined light-sensitive liquid resins with a phase-changing paraffin wax powder to create a new 3D printable ink composite. Broader temperature ranges Using a light-sensitive resin, they cured it with an ultraviolet light to solidify the 3D printable paste. In the future, researchers will experiment with various phase-change materials that operate at broader temperature ranges and manage more thermal energy during a given cycle. Cooling chips made from bismuth telluride have applications in air conditioning and refrigeration. When electrical current runs through the chips, it removes heat, allowing one side of the chip to cool while the other side heats up. Phononics is a Durham, N.C., startup that has secured $50 million in funding from Goldman Sachs Asset Management to develop the approach. Cooling outdoor installations The funding will be used to build out high-volume manufacturing in North Carolina and in Thailand It’s a versatile technology that enables small or large chips that can be used to deliver the coolant effect needed for compact freezers, for air conditioning, or to prevent overheating of laser-based sensors in autonomous cars or optical transceivers to transmit 5G data. In the future, there are possible applications in cooling mattresses, motorbike helmets, and cooling outdoor installations. The funding will be used to build out high-volume manufacturing in North Carolina and in Thailand. An advantage of the approach is that there is no impact on global warming, unlike traditional vapor compression systems. Although bismuth telluride powder is toxic, it is benign when manufactured into chips, and can be safely recycled or disposed of. Light-Colored material An associate professor at Northeastern University in Boston has created ‘cooling paper,’ which enables a building or home to essentially keep cool with no electricity required. The paper, which is recyclable, reflects heat away from rooftops and removes heat from homes and buildings. The paper can cool down a room’s temperature by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The invention works through the porous microstructure of the natural fibers inside the cooling paper, which absorbs warmth and reemits it away from the building. The light-colored material is part of the study of nanomaterials by Yi Zheng, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University.