A novel type of micro-channel heat sink with enhanced thermal-hydraulic performance by sawtooth cross-sectional shape

A new shape of cross-section for micro-channel heat sink (MCHS) was designed. The cross-section has a sawtooth boundary. Through numerical simulation, the effects of various geometric parameters, including angle of sawtooth and number of sawtooth, on the MCHS's thermal performance and coolant flow characteristics were explored. According to the results, the cross-section with a sawtooth boundary increases the pressure drop, but at some specific geometric parameters, the heat dissipation performance is enhanced. Thus, the sawtooth cross-section has a better overall thermal performance than the conventional rectangular cross-section for MCHS. After simulating different geometric parameters, it was found that the overall thermal performance is highest when the angle of sawtooth is 30 degrees. Further research based on the 30 degrees angle of sawtooth revealed that when the top and bottom sides have four pairs of sawtooth and the left and right sides have twelve pairs, the overall thermal performance is at its best. Under this optimal configuration, the overall thermal performance of the MCHS with a sawtooth cross-section is 16% higher than that of the MCHS with a traditional rectangular cross-section.