Optimization of flow distribution in Z-type manifold microchannels

Electronic components are increasingly being centralized and miniaturized, leading to a rise in heat flux. As a result, there is a growing interest in high heat flux heat dissipation technology. Manifold microchannel (MMC) heat sinks have proven to be effective in dissipating heat from the chip. The Z-type manifold heat sink is more favored in practical applications, because its inlet and outlet are located on both sides, saving space. However, the flow distribution in each microchannel of the Z-type manifold heat sink is more uneven than that in other types of manifold heat sinks. In this paper, deionized water is used as the working medium to explore the influence of different structures of Z-type MMC, which has 40 microchannels, on flow distribution of single-phase flow in Z-type MMCs. By changing the structure of the manifold and the spacing of the fins, the researchers achieved uniform distribution of the flow in the 40 microchannels. Moreover, the optimized formula is applied to Z-type manifold heat sink with different size, and the results show that this MMC can also be optimized.