The optimum thermal design of microchannel heat sinks

A thermal resistance model was set up to analyse the flow and heat transfer in microchannel heat sinks. Laminar, turbulent, developed and developing flow and heat transfer were considered in the analysis. Optimum thermal design of the heat sink was then studied using this model and a self-developed software package, where the influences of the heat sink´s channel aspect ratio, fin width to channel width ratio, and the channel width on heat sink performance under three flow constraints-constant coolant volume flow rate, constant pressure drop and constant pumping power-were extensively investigated over wide flow and heat transfer regimes. This paper documents the modelling or analysis methodologies and the results of the investigation which include guidelines for the optimum thermal design of microchannel heat sinks