Numerical and experimental analysis of cooling performance of single-phase array microchannel heat sinks with different pin-fin configurations

The heat transfer performances of the microchannel heat sinks with five different pin-fin configurations were investigated numerically and experimentally. Triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon and circle geometries were chosen as the cross sections of the pin fins. All the microchannel heat sinks were designed as the same overall dimensions. Pin fins were staggered in the same way. A uniform heat flux was applied at the top surface of the microchannel heat sink. Deionized water (DI water) was used as the coolant. The computational fluid dynamics simulations showed that the pin-fin shape changes the thermo-fluid characteristics of the microchannel heat sink inducing the lowest thermal resistance and uniformity of the chip’s top surface (UCTS) with hexagonal cross section pin fins and the lowest pressure drop with the circular cross section pin fins. These samples were fabricated and tested through Ultra Violet-Lithographie Galvanoformung and Abformung (UV-LIGA) micromachining technology and infrared imaging testing system respectively. The results showed the same trends with the simulations. The shape of pin fin was proved to play an important role in balancing pressure drop and heat transfer rate for achieving better cooling performances of the single-phase array microchannel heat sinks.