Modelling of fluid flow and heat transfer in a copper base heat sink application

With the trend towards increasing speed of processors in smaller size of computers, there has been considerable interest in heat sink technologies with higher level of performance and further miniaturization. A three-dimensional finite-volume model has been developed and applied to investigate flow and conjugate heat transfer in the copper-based heat sink. The model was produced with commercial program FLUENT, which allows this nonlinear, highly turbulent problem to be simulated using the k-e turbulence model. The theoretical model developed is validated by comparing the predictions of the model with available experimental data. The thermal performance and temperature distribution for the heat sink were analysed and a procedure for optimizing the geometrical design parameters based on less space occupation and more efficient heat transfer coefficient is presented as the trend. Several design examples with different types of cooling methods and manufacturing processes have been analysed. The reliability and effectiveness in heat spreading of those has been compared. It has been shown that the copper-based rectangular heat sink with straight fins (case No.1) has an optimum design configuration.