Numerical optimization of the thermal performance of a microchannel heat sink

• Published in: International journal of heat and mass transfer Vol. 45; no. 13; pp. 2823 - 2827
• Main Authors: Ryu, J.H., Choi, D.H., Kim, S.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Devices using thermal energy; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Heat exchangers (included heat transformers, condensers, cooling towers); Thermal properties; Three dimensional model; Heat exchanger; Thermal efficiency; Performance; Modeling; Computing method; Heat sink; Optimization
• ISSN: 0017-9310; 1879-2189
• DOI: 10.1016/S0017-9310(02)00006-6

The recent trend in the electronic equipment industry toward denser and more powerful products requires higher thermal performance from a cooling technique. Many ideas for innovative cooling methods have been proposed including a microchannel heat sink. A micro-channel heat sink, as first proposed by Tuckerman and Pease [1], is based on the idea that the heat transfer coefficient is inversely proportional to the hydraulic diameter of the channel. Even though the microchannel heat sink has brought significant improvements in the cooling performance, it has not been widely used because of two limitations: a high pressure drop due to a small hydraulic diameter of the channel and a significant temperature variation within the heat source between inlet and outlet.