Constructal Optimization of Rectangular Microchannel Heat Sink with Porous Medium for Entropy Generation Minimization

A model of rectangular microchannel heat sink (MCHS) with porous medium (PM) is developed. Aspect ratio of heat sink (HS) cell and length-width ratio of HS are optimized by numerical simulation method for entropy generation minimization (EGM) according to constructal theory. The effects of inlet Reynolds number (Re) of coolant, heat flux on bottom, porosity and volume proportion of PM on dimensionless entropy generation rate (DEGR) are analyzed. From the results, there are optimal aspect ratios to minimize DEGR. Given the initial condition, DEGR is 33.10% lower than its initial value after the aspect ratio is optimized. With the increase of Re, the optimal aspect ratio declines, and the minimum DEGR drops as well. DEGR gets larger and the optimal aspect ratio remains constant with the increasing of heat flux on bottom. For the different volume proportion of PM, the optimal aspect ratios are diverse, but the minimum DEGR almost stays unchanged. The twice minimized DEGR, which results from aspect ratio and length-width ratio optimized simultaneously, is 10.70% lower than the once minimized DEGR. For a rectangular bottom, a lower DEGR can be reached by choosing the proper direction of fluid flow.

Thermodynamic Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic Third Grade Fluid Flow with Variable Properties

This article aims to computationally study entropy generation in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) third grade fluid flow in a horizontal channel with impermeable walls. The fluids viscosity and thermal conductivity are assumed to be dependent on temperature. The flow is driven by an applied uniform axial pressure gradient between infinite parallel plates and is considered to be incompressible, steady and fully developed. Adomian decomposition method (ADM) is used to obtain series solutions of the nonlinear governing equations. Thermodynamic analysis is done by computing the entropy generation rate and the irreversibility ratio (Bejan number). The effects of the various pertinent embedded parameters on the velocity field, temperature field, entropy generation rate and Bejan number are analysed through vivid graphical manipulations. The analysis shows that an appropriate combination of thermophysical parameters efficiently achieves entropy generation minimization in the thermomechanical system. The analysis shows that entropy generation minimization is achieved by increasing the magnetic field and the third grade material parameters, and therefore designs and processes incorporating MHD third grade fluid flow systems are far more likely to give optimum and efficient performance.