Effects of cross-section geometry on performance of corrugated miniature heat sink: Uniform, convergent, divergent, and hybrid cases

Abstract

This study aims to improve the performance of a corrugated miniature heat sink by altering the cross-section size of the routes. Fully convergent and fully divergent as well as six hybrid models in terms of cross-section size are introduced and compared to the uniform model. The investigations are carried out on a water based system (Reynolds numbers ranged from 85 to 1145). The inferred outcomes of numerical simulations (that are experimentally validated by a pre-calibrated setup) indicate that converging and diverging routes cross-section can considerably affect both the flow and the heat transfer of the fluid in the corrugated-route. The maximum heat transfer coefficient occurs in a hybrid model, whereas the largest pressure drop tacks place in the fully convergent model. Compared to the uniform cross-section model, the heat transfer coefficient varies from −11.9% to 34.1%, and the pressure drop varies from −55.6% to 114.7%. To specify the model providing the best overall performance, the corresponding index values are compared for all the models. It is found that the fully divergent model has the highest value of index, which is about 1.81, followed by the hybrid models with a divergent pattern at the upstream. In conclusion, it is detected that diverging the cross-section of the corrugated route can be an efficient technique to enhance the thermal performance of heat sinks.