Abstract

Numerical analyses were conducted to study the heat transfer characteristics and pressure variation in micro-scale heat sinks under consistent heat flux conditions. The study involved making predictions for Reynolds numbers ranging from 2819.3 to 5874.5 and pressure drops ranging from 0.035 to 0.55 bar. The micro-scale heat sinks with different channel heights and widths were fabricated using wire electrical discharge machining (EDM). The investigation explored the impacts of various geometric configurations and heat flux on heat transfer properties and pressure drop in the micro-scale. The geometry of the micro-scale was found to significantly influence pressure drop and heat transfer enhancement. The study aims to provide valuable insights that can guide the design of micro-scale heat exchangers, enhancing heat transfer performance for small-scale devices. The heat transfer coefficients ranged from (0.268 to 0.507) kW/m2.k at the inlet, and from (0.919 to 7.130) kW/m2.k at the outlet. Additionally, the Nusselt numbers varied between (10.43 to 19.81 at the inlet and (9.93 to 18.94) at the outlet. Furthermore, the pressure drops were within the range of (35.55 to 278.037) mbar at the inlet and (70.73 to 550.250) mbar at the outlet. These findings pertain to two micro-channel heat sinks with differing heights and widths, as detailed in the results section.