Numerical study on temperature distribution uniformity and cooling performance of manifold microchannel heat sink

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering 2024-01, Vol.237, p.121779, Article 121779
• Main Authors: Pu, Xiaojun, Zhao, Zhongchao, Sun, Mengke, Huang, Yeqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cooling coefficient; Manifold microchannel; Numerical simulation; Temperature distribution
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.121779

•The goal is to improve the heat dissipation uniformity of the manifold microchannel heat sink while ensuring good cooling performance.•Using numerical simulation methods.•Flow control baffles were added between the manifold and microchannel.•Expanded research on heat sinks with converging/diverging manifold channels.•Compared to some previous MMCHSs, this MMCHS has a simpler structure.•The heat dissipation uniformity of the improved manifold microchannel heat sink was significantly improved and the cooling performance of the heat sink with flow control baffles was further improvement. The manifold microchannel heat sink (MMCHS) is a promising design for cooling electronic devices due to its ability to effectively dissipate high heat flux. The structural changes of the heat sink play a crucial role in achieving uniform heat dissipation and optimal cooling performance. In order to enhance temperature distribution uniformity and cooling performance, this study conducted numerical simulations by introducing flow-regulating baffles between the manifold channels and microchannels. Additionally, two different types of diverging/converging manifold channels, namely horizontal (z direction) and vertical (y direction) diverging/converging manifold channels, were examined. The simulations were performed under single-phase conditions with varying coolant mass flow rates, and various parameters such as flow distribution, pressure drop, thermal resistance, temperature uniformity, and overall heat transfer performance were analyzed. The findings indicate that the modified MMCHS with baffles exhibited improved temperature distribution uniformity at the base of the heat sink and reduced average thermal resistance. However, it was observed that the pressure drop increased in all cases. The MMCHS with baffles demonstrated an average increase of 70.68% in microchannel flow distribution uniformity, an average increase of 44.55% in temperature distribution uniformity at the base of the heat sink, and an average increase of 7.67% in cooling coefficient of performance (COP). On the other hand, the MMCHS with diverging/converging manifold channels in the z and y directions showed an average increase of 81.44% and 83.65% in microchannel flow distribution uniformity, and an average increase of 57.71% and 62.13% in temperature distribution uniformity. However, it was noted that the COP decreased by an average of 14.58% and 29.81% for these cases.