Micro-Channel Heat Sink Optimization

An increasing demand for a higher heat flux removal capability within a smaller-volume for high power electronics led us to focus on micro channels in contrast to the classical heat fin design. A micro channel can have various shapes to enhance heat transfer, but the shape that will lead to a higher heat flux removal with a moderate pumping power needs to be determined. The micro channel geometries explored are pin fins (staggered) and parallel plates. The problem solved here is a conjugate problem involving two heat transfer mechanisms; 1) porous media effective conductivity and 2) internal convective heat transfer coefficient. Volume Averaging Theory (VAT) is used to rigorously cast the point wise conservation of energy, momentum and mass equations into a form that represents the thermal and hydraulic properties of the micro channel (porous media) morphology. Using the resulting VAT based field equations, optimization of a micro channel heated from one side is used to determine the optimum micro channel morphology. A standard commercial size and design is chosen for analysis and to demonstrate the utility of the VAT based process.