Numerical Investigations of the Effect of Flow Arrangement and Number of Layers on the Performance of Multi-Layer Microchannel Heat Sinks

Author(s):  
M. B. Effat ◽  
M. S. AbdelKarim ◽  
O. Hassan ◽  
M. Abdelgawad

With the advance of miniaturization technology, more and more electronic components are placed onto small electronic chips. This leads to the generation of high amounts of thermal energy that should be removed for the safe operation of these electronic components. Microchannel heat sinks, where electronic chips are liquid cooled instead of the conventional air cooling techniques, were proposed as a means to improve cooling rates. Later on, double layer micro channel heat sinks were suggested as an upgrade to single layer microchannel heat sinks with a better thermal performance. In the present study the effects of increasing the number of layers of the microchannel heat sink to three-layers as well as the effect of changing the flow arrangements (counter and parallel flows) within the three channel layers on the thermal performance of the heat sink were investigated. In all investigated cases the temperature distribution over the base of the microchannel heat sink system and the total pressure drop are reported. A range of mass flow rates from 1×10−4 to 5×10−4 kg/s was considered. Uniform heat flux conditions were considered during the study. COMSOL Multiphysics finite element package was employed for the numerical analysis. Results indicate significant enhancement in the uniformity of the temperature on the processor surface when multi-layer channels were employed, compared to the single-layer case. The uniformity in the temperature distribution was accompanied by reduction of pressure drop across channels for the same mass flow rate and heat flux conditions. The counter flow arrangement showed the best temperature distribution with the uniform heat flux cases.

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Wei ◽  
Y. Joshi

Abstract A novel heat sink based on a multi-layer stack of liquid cooled microchannels is investigated. For a given pumping power and heat removal capability for the heat sink, the flow rate across a stack of microchannels is lower compared to a single layer of microchannels. Numerical simulations using a computationally efficient multigrid method [1] were carried out to investigate the detailed conjugate transport within the heat sink. The effects of the microchannel aspect ratio and total number of layers on thermal performance were studied for water as coolant. A heat sink of base area 10 mm by 10 mm with a height in the range 1.8 to 4.5 mm (2–5 layers) was considered with water flow rate in the range 0.83×10−6 m3/s (50 ml/min) to 6.67×10−6 m3/s (400 ml/min). The results of the computational simulations were also compared with a simplified thermal resistance network analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1163 ◽  
pp. 73-88
Author(s):  
Md Tanbir Sarowar

Microchannel heat sink plays a vital role in removing a considerable amount of heat flux from a small surface area from different electronic devices. In recent times, the rapid development of electronic devices requires the improvement of these heat sinks to a greater extent. In this aspect, the selection of appropriate substrate materials of the heat sinks is of vital importance. In this paper, three boron-based ultra-high temperature ceramic materials (ZrB2, TiB2, and HfB2) are compared as a substrate material for the microchannel heat sink using a numerical approach. The fluid flow and heat transfer are analyzed using the finite volume method. The results showed that the maximum temperature of the heat source didn’t exceed 355K at 3.6MWm-2 for any material. The results also indicated HfB2 and TiB2 to be more useful as a substrate material than ZrB2. By applying 3.6 MWm-2 heat flux at the source, the maximum obtained surface heat transfer coefficient was 175.2 KWm-2K-1 in a heat sink having substrate material HfB2.


Author(s):  
Ling Ling ◽  
Yanfeng Fan ◽  
Ibrahim Hassan

Higher heat flux is produced by Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) because of their reduced size and increased clock speed. At the mean time, studies of non-uniform heating conditions which are more practical than uniform heating conditions are inadequate and needed urgently. Four nonuniform heating conditions are simulated in the paper. Three heat sinks with different widths of cross-linked channels locating above the center of hotspots are studied and compared to conventional straight microchannel heat sink. Half of the module geometry is chosen to be the computational domain. Two hotspots are placed at the bottom surface. The coolant is water, whose properties are dependent on temperature. Two inlet velocities, 0.5 m/s and 1 m/s, are tested for each heat sink. Temperature profile at the hotspots, pressure drop and total thermal resistance are selected as criteria of evaluating heat sink performance. All heat sinks have better performance when there is an upstream hotspot or the upstream hotspot is subjected to a higher heat flux. Cross-linked channel width of 0.5 mm has the best benefit to obtain better temperature uniformity without increasing the maximum temperature on the bottom surface.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Eltaweel ◽  
Abdulla Baobeid ◽  
Ibrahim Hassan

Non-uniform heat fluxes are commonly observed in thermo-electronic devices that require distinct thermal management strategies for effective heat dissipation and robust performance. The limited research available on non-uniform heat fluxes focus mostly on microchannel heat sinks while the fundamental component, i.e. a single microchannel, has received restricted attention. In this work, an experimental setup for the analysis of variable axial heat flux is used to study the heat transfer in a single microchannel with fully developed flow under the effect of different heat flux profiles. Initially a hot spot at different locations, with a uniform background heat flux, is studied at different Reynolds numbers while varying the maximum heat fluxes in order to compute the heat transfer in relation to its dependent variables. Measurements of temperature, pressure, and flow rates at a different locations and magnitudes of hot spot heat fluxes are presented, followed by a detailed analysis of heat transfer characteristics of a single microchannel under non-uniform heating. Results showed that upstream hotspots have lower tube temperatures compared to downstream ones with equal amounts of heat fluxes. This finding can be of importance in enhancing microchannel heat sinks effectiveness in reducing maximum wall temperatures for the same amount of heat released, by redistributing spatially fluxes in a descending profile.


Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto Rubio-Jimenez ◽  
Abel Hernandez-Guerrero ◽  
Jose Cuauhtemoc Rubio-Arana ◽  
Satish Kandlikar

The present work shows a study developed of the thermal and hydrodynamic behaviors present in microchannel heat sinks formed by non-conventional arrangements. These arrangements are based on patterns that nature presents. There are two postulates that model natural forms in a mathematical way: the Allometric Law and the Biomimetic Tendency. Both theories have been applied in the last few years in different fields of science and technology. Using both theories, six models were analyzed (there are three cases proposed and both theories are applied to each case). Microchannel heat sinks with split channels are obtained as a result of applying these theories. Water is the cooling fluid of the system. The inlet hydraulic diameter is kept in each model in order to have a reference for comparison. The Reynolds number inside the heat sink remains below the transition Reynolds number value published by several researchers for this channel dimensions. The inlet Reynolds number of the fluid at the channel inlet is the same for each model. A heat flux is supplied to the bottom wall of the heat sink. The magnitude of this heat flux is 150 W/cm2. The temperature fields and velocity profiles are obtained for each case and compared.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. J. Lee ◽  
P. S. Lee ◽  
S. K. Chou

Sectional oblique fins are employed, in contrast to continuous fins in order to modulate the flow in microchannel heat sinks. The breakage of a continuous fin into oblique sections leads to the reinitialization of the thermal boundary layer at the leading edge of each oblique fin, effectively reducing the boundary layer thickness. This regeneration of entrance effects causes the flow to always be in a developing state, thus resulting in better heat transfer. In addition, the presence of smaller oblique channels diverts a small fraction of the flow into adjacent main channels. The secondary flows created improve fluid mixing, which serves to further enhance heat transfer. Both numerical simulations and experimental investigations of copper-based oblique finned microchannel heat sinks demonstrated that a highly augmented and uniform heat transfer performance, relative to the conventional microchannel, is achievable with such a passive technique. The average Nusselt number, Nuave, for the copper microchannel heat sink which uses water as the working fluid can increase as much as 103%, from 11.3 to 22.9. Besides, the augmented convective heat transfer leads to a reduction in maximum temperature rise by 12.6 °C. The associated pressure drop penalty is much smaller than the achieved heat transfer enhancement, rendering it as an effective heat transfer enhancement scheme for a single-phase microchannel heat sink.


Author(s):  
Dylan Farnam ◽  
Bahgat Sammakia ◽  
Kanad Ghose

Increasing power dissipation in microprocessors and other devices is leading to the consideration of more capable thermal solutions than the traditional air-cooled fin heat sinks. Microchannel heat sinks (MHSs) are promising candidates for long-term thermal solution given their simplicity, performance, and the development of MHS-compatible 3D device architecture. As the traditional methods of cooling generally have uniform heat removal on the contact area with the device, thermal consequences of design have traditionally been considered only after the layout of components on a device is finalized in accordance with connection and other criteria. Unlike traditional cooling solutions, however, microchannel heat sinks provide highly nonuniform heat removal on the contact area with the device. This feature is of utmost importance and can actually be used quite advantageously, if considered during the design phase of a device. In this study, simple thermal design criteria governing the general placement of components on devices to be cooled by microchannel heat sink are developed and presented. These thermal criteria are not meant to supersede connection and other important design criteria but are intended as a necessary and valuable supplement. Full-scale numerical simulations of a device with a realistic power map cooled by microchannel heat sink prove the effectiveness of the criteria, showing large reduction in maximum operating temperature and harmful temperature gradients. The simulations further show that the device and microchannel heat sink can dissipate a comparatively high amount of power, with little thermal danger, when design considers the criteria developed herein.


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