Improvement of thermal efficiency in computer heat sink using functionally graded materials

This article presents a new method for improvement of thermal efficiency in the heat dissipation process from electrical components by replacing the conventional heat sink material with functionally graded materials. For physical properties of functionally graded material, the linear and power-law functions are used. An approximate analytical approach based on the mean value theorem is applied for analyzing the thermal behavior of heat sink. The obtained results in the present study reveal that replacing the heat sink fin material with functionally graded material leads to a significant energy saving in heat sinks since the heat transfer enhances between the fin surfaces and surrounding fluid. Alternatively, the rate of energy saving varies as a function of in-homogeneity index of fin material. It is hoped that the obtained results in the present study arouse interest among the thermal designers and heat sink industries.