Heat Transfer Augmentation and Entropy Generation Analysis of Microchannel Heat Sink (MCHS) with Symmetrical Ogive-Shaped Ribs

Abstract

This study proposes the use of symmetrical ogive-shaped ribs on the walls of microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) to improve their thermal performance with minimal pressure drop. The ribs are arranged in three different configurations: ribs attached to all channel walls (MC-SAWR), ribs attached to side channel walls (MC-SSWR), and ribs attached to the bottom channel wall (MC-SBWR). Numerical investigations are conducted using the laminar conjugate heat transfer model to study the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the MCHS. The augmentation entropy generation number and thermal enhancement factor criterion are used to quantify the overall hydrothermal performance of the MCHS. The results show that the inclusion of symmetrical ogive-shaped ribs improves the Nusselt number of MCHS. The MC-SAWR configuration shows the highest Nusselt number improvement of 13–50% compared to the smooth MCHS over the Reynolds number range of 100–1000. Additionally, the MC-SAWR configuration shows a maximum reduction of 58% in the total entropy generation rate as it has the smallest augmentation entropy generation number value of 0.42. In terms of the thermal enhancement factor criterion, the MC-SSWR configuration shows the highest performance at Reynolds numbers below 400, but the MC-SAWR configuration outperformed the MC-SSWR configuration at Reynolds numbers above 400. Therefore, the MC-SAWR configuration is the best configuration that provides high cooling performance.