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6CCVD Research

Performance Evaluation of a Double-Helical-Type-Channel Reinforced Heat Sink Based on Energy and Entropy-Generation Analysis

At a Glance

Section titled “At a Glance”
MetadataDetails
Publication Date2024-03-17
JournalProcesses
AuthorsHe Liyi, Xue Hu, Lixin Zhang, Feng Chen, Xinwang Zhang
InstitutionsShihezi University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
Citations3
AnalysisFull AI Review Included

Executive Summary

Section titled “Executive Summary”

This analysis focuses on the thermal and hydraulic performance of a double-helical-type-channel liquid-cooled heat sink reinforced with various rib structures, evaluated using energy and entropy-generation analysis under turbulent flow conditions (Re 10,000-60,000).

  • Superior Design Identified: The Elliptic Rib configuration (FC-ER) demonstrated the most excellent overall performance, achieving the lowest average temperature and highest temperature uniformity among all tested designs.
  • Thermal Enhancement: FC-ER achieved a Nusselt number (Nu) improvement ranging from 15.80% to 30.77% compared to the smooth flow channel (SFC) baseline.
  • Efficiency Metric (PEC): FC-ER maintained the highest Performance Evaluation Criteria (PEC) value across the high Reynolds number range, indicating the best balance between enhanced heat transfer and minimized flow losses.
  • Irreversible Loss Minimization: From the perspective of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, FC-ER yielded the smallest augmentation entropy-generation number (Ns less than 1), signifying the least loss of available energy for the achieved thermal gain.
  • Rib Shape Impact: Drop-shaped (FC-DSR) and Rectangular (FC-RR) ribs resulted in the highest pressure drops and friction factors, while Diamond (FC-DR) and Rectangular (FC-RR) ribs offered limited thermal optimization, especially at high Re.
  • Validation: The numerical model was validated against experimental data for the FC-DR configuration, showing maximum deviations for Nu and pressure drop controlled within 10%.

Technical Specifications

Section titled “Technical Specifications”
ParameterValueUnitContext
Heat Sink Material6063 Al-Solid domain
Coolant FluidWater-Incompressible Newtonian fluid
Inlet Temperature (Tf,in)25°CConstant boundary condition
Applied Heat Flow (Q)1451WSteady and uniform heat flow density
Reynolds Number Range (Re)10,000 to 60,000-Turbulent flow regime
Channel Height (Hc)10mmFlow channel dimension
Channel Width (Wc)30mmFlow channel dimension
Rib Height5mmRib structure dimension
Rib Spacing40mmRib arrangement pitch
Best Nu Improvement (FC-ER)15.80% to 30.77%%Compared to Smooth Flow Channel (SFC)
Max Nu Simulation Error8.06%%Uncertainty analysis (Numerical vs. Experimental)
Max Pressure Drop Simulation Error5.64%%Uncertainty analysis (Numerical vs. Experimental)
Thermal Conductivity (Al)218W/mK6063 Aluminum
Coolant Dynamic Viscosity (”)9.028 x 10-4Pa·sAt 25 °C

Key Methodologies

Section titled “Key Methodologies”

The study employed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations validated against experimental data to analyze the thermal and hydraulic performance of the enhanced heat sinks.

  1. Physical Model Setup: A liquid-cooled heat sink featuring a double-helical-type channel structure was modeled. Ribs were strategically placed only on the upper wall, directly beneath the simulated heat source area (235 x 74 mm).
  2. Rib Configurations: Five distinct rib shapes were investigated: Diamond (FC-DR), Rectangular (FC-RR), Drop-shaped (FC-DSR), Elliptic (FC-ER), and Frustum (FC-FR).
  3. Numerical Simulation: The computational domain was meshed using the Mesher-HD mesh type in ANSYS-Icepak. The SIMPLE method was used for pressure-velocity coupling, and a zero-equation turbulence model was employed for flow calculations.
  4. Boundary Conditions: Velocity-inlet boundary condition was applied at 25 °C. A pressure-outlet condition was set at the exit. A constant heat flux (1451 W) was applied to the top surface, and other external surfaces were adiabatic.
  5. Model Validation: Experimental testing was conducted on the FC-DR heat sink configuration. Numerical results for Nusselt number and pressure drop were compared to experimental data, confirming model stability with maximum deviations less than 10%.
  6. Thermal Performance Metrics: Performance was quantified using the Nusselt number (Nu), convective heat-transfer coefficient (h), and temperature non-uniformity (ΔT = Tw,max - Tw,min).
  7. Comprehensive Assessment: The overall thermal-hydraulic trade-off was evaluated using the Performance Evaluation Criteria (PEC). The degree of irreversible loss was quantified using the entropy-generation analysis (Sg) and the augmentation entropy-generation number (Ns).

Commercial Applications

Section titled “Commercial Applications”

This research directly supports the design and optimization of high-efficiency liquid cooling solutions for high-power density electronics, focusing on minimizing energy consumption while maximizing heat dissipation.

  • High-Performance Computing (HPC): Cooling of CPUs, GPUs, and specialized accelerators where maintaining low and uniform junction temperatures is critical for stability and clock speed.
  • Power Electronics: Thermal management of high-power semiconductor modules (e.g., IGBTs, MOSFETs) used in industrial drives, renewable energy inverters, and high-voltage DC systems.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Energy Storage: Design of cold plates for high-capacity lithium-ion battery modules, ensuring temperature uniformity to prolong battery life and prevent thermal runaway.
  • Data Centers: Development of compact, high-flux liquid cooling racks to improve power usage effectiveness (PUE) by reducing pumping power requirements (as indicated by low Ns).
  • Aerospace and Defense: Cooling systems for miniaturized, highly integrated electronic warfare or radar systems where weight and volume constraints necessitate maximum thermal efficiency.
View Original Abstract

Heat-transfer enhancement and entropy generation were investigated for a double-helical-type-channel heat sink with different rib structures set on the upper wall. Based on available experimental data, a series of simulations with various turbulence models were conducted to find the best numerical model. Five different rib structures were considered, which were diamond (FC-DR), rectangular (FC-RR), drop-shaped (FC-DSR), elliptic (FC-ER) and frustum (FC-FR). The research was carried out under turbulent flow circumstances with a Reynolds number range of 10,000-60,000 and a constant heat-flow density. The numerical results show that the thermal performance of the flow channel set with a rib structure is better than that of the smooth channel. FC-ER offers the lowest average temperature and the highest temperature uniformity, with a Nusselt number improvement percentage ranging from 15.80% to 30.77%. Overall, FC-ER shows the most excellent performance evaluation criteria and lowest augmentation entropy-generation number compared with the other reinforced flow channels.

Tech Support

Section titled “Tech Support”

Original Source

Section titled “Original Source”

References

Section titled “References”
  1. 2008 - Thermal Management of Electronics: A review of Literature [Crossref]
  2. 2013 - Toward Reliable Power Electronics: Challenges, Design Tools, and Opportunities [Crossref]
  3. 2015 - Study and Handling Methods of Power IGBT Module Failures in Power Electronic Converter Systems [Crossref]
  4. 2015 - Thermal management optimization of an air-cooled Li-ion battery module using pin-fin heat sinks for hybrid electric vehicles [Crossref]
  5. 2012 - Design of direct and indirect liquid cooling systems for high-capacity, high-power lithium-ion battery packs [Crossref]
  6. 2018 - Modeling film boiling within chimney-structured porous media and heat pipes [Crossref]
  7. 2018 - Development and validation of a semi-empirical model for two-phase heat transfer from arrays of impinging jets [Crossref]
  8. 2019 - Electric vehicle battery thermal management system with thermoelectric cooling [Crossref]
  9. 2009 - The investigation of groove geometry effect on heat transfer for internally grooved tubes [Crossref]
  10. 2021 - Flow and heat transfer over shallow cavities [Crossref]

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