Numerical Analysis of Structured Ribbed Channels for Electronic Cooling Applications

Electrical equipment and microprocessors distribute power and generate and/or dissipate heat due to the resistance and impedance of the various electrical components in any given circuit. That results in complications pertaining to the device functioning, failure, or damage to the component. As such, the electronic component's temperature should be kept below a safe temperature by employing efficient thermal management system to prevent premature component failure. Numerous cooling techniques for electrical systems have been investigated such as heat sinks, direct and indirect cooing, thermoelectric coolers, and heat pipes. Traditionally, heat sinks have been notable and well-known form of electronic cooling in which they harness forced as well as natural convection to cool electronic components. On the other hand, indirect channel cooling using structured channels have been of interest for developing cooling systems for different applications. In this work, indirect air-cooling utilizing turbulence promoters in structured channel flow is investigated numerically. Numerical modeling is employed and the results are verified against experimental data in literature. Grid independence study is performed and the flow field characteristic and thermal advantage of structured ribbed channels are analyzed.