The Impact of Channel Cross-Section Shape and Geometric Parameters on the Thermal Resistance and Pumping Power of Microchannel Heat Sinks

The performance of microchannel heat sinks is significantly influenced by the channel cross-section’s shape, yet research on irregular cross-sections is still scarce. This study proposes two novel channel cross-sections with the same area (vase-shaped and wave-shaped) based on the rectangular microchannel heat sink cross-section. Through numerical simulations, The three distinct channels’ pumping power and thermal resistance were tested between 200 and 700 Reynolds numbers (Re). According to the results, the wave-shaped cross-section obtains the lowest thermal resistance at the expense of some pumping power, while the rectangular cross-section has the lowest pumping power. Subsequent examination of the wave-shaped cross-section’s geometric parameters showed that while lowering the radius of the wave arc considerably reduces the thermal resistance but also results in a significant increase in pumping power, increasing the number of waves can decrease the thermal resistance without increasing the pumping power. The study’s findings offer theoretical direction for improving heat sinks’ thermal-hydraulic performance.