Abstract

Flow boiling in microchannel heat sinks has been researched extensively for its use in the cooling of high-power electronics. Previous works have proven open microchannels with tapered gap manifolds are effective in delivering enhanced flow boiling performance, with significant reductions in pressure drop. This work explores the feasibility of employing ethanol as a dielectric fluid in an open microchannel geometry with tapered manifolds, under a gravity-driven flow. A heat flux of 217 ± 13 W/cm2 was dissipated with a pressure drop of only 8.8 ± 0.5 kPa. Parametric trends are presented regarding flow rate, taper, pressure drop characteristics, and their effect on critical heat flux, providing basic insight into designing high heat flux systems under a given gravitational head requirement. Based on the obtained results, design guidelines are developed for the manifold taper, ethanol flow rate, and imposed heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient and gravity head requirement for electronics cooling. Reducing flow instability and pressure drop, and enhancing heat transfer performance for a dielectric fluid will enable the development of pumpless cooling solutions in a variety of electronics cooling applications.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Ebullition; Fluid-structure interaction; Heat sinks (Electronics); Heat exchangers--Fluid dynamics; Microfluidics

Publication Date

5-5-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Mechanical Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Mechanical Engineering (KGCOE)

Advisor

Satish Kandlikar

Advisor/Committee Member

Wayne Walter

Advisor/Committee Member

Mario Gomes

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at QC304 .B83 2015

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

MECE-MS

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