Performance analysis and optimization of the Gyroid-type triply periodic minimal surface heat sink incorporated with fin structures

Abstract

The Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures demonstrate substantial value and development potential in applications and research concerning heat sinks and heat exchangers. To further enhance the convective heat transfer performance of TPMS, this study proposes a novel method of incorporating fin structures into TPMS. This method is applicable to various types of TPMS, and the new structure constructed using this method is termed “TPMS with Fin Structures (TFS).” Subsequently, a TFS-Gyroid heat sink based on the Gyroid-type TPMS was constructed. This study presents a calculation method for the fin height in TFS-Gyroid (HTFS-Gyroid). Numerical simulation methods were employed to investigate the influence and mechanism of HTFS-Gyroid on the convective heat transfer performance and flow resistance of the TFS-Gyroid heat sink model, with air as the working fluid and under constant wall temperature (100 °C) conditions. The results indicate that within the flow range of 24–120 L/min, as HTFS-Gyroid increases from 0 to 1.6 mm, the average surface convective heat transfer coefficient (h̅) of the TFS-Gyroid heat sink model increases by 27.4 %-34.6 %, and the inlet–outlet pressure drop (ΔP) increases by 42.5–632.8 Pa. As HTFS-Gyroid increases, the PEC of the TFS-Gyroid heat sink model gradually decreases, whereas j/f gradually increases. The primary mechanisms by which the fin structures enhance the convective heat transfer performance of the TFS-Gyroid heat sink are: 1) increased heat exchange area, 2) the fin structures induce a large number of longitudinal vortices and secondary flows within the flow channels, and 3) the formation of “Fins Occupying the Perforated Structure (FOPS)” within the flow channels.