Thermal management of electronics using paraffin wax based radial fin heat sink

Abstract: This study addresses the issue of overheating in modern electronics by investigating a 3D printed stainless-steel radial fin heat sink with phase change material (PCM) to stabilise chip temperature. A transient numerical approach based on a pressure-based finite volume method in ANSYS Fluent 2021 R2 is employed. The Pressure Staggering Option (PRESTO) scheme for pressure interpolation and Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling are used, while the second-order upwind scheme is applied to discretize the convective terms in the momentum and energy equations. A first-order implicit scheme with a fixed time step is used for time discretization. Proper grid refinement ensures grid-independent results. A parametric analysis is also conducted to determine the influence of critical factors such as power input, heat transfer to the outside, and base thickness. The findings revealed that the effect of convective heat transfer coefficient, input power and base thickness is significant compared to other geometric parameters such as fin thickness and height. The reductions in the base temperature with more heat transfer to the outside, low power input, and thicker base are noted to be 81%, 34.9%, and 14.1% as compared to the base case. These findings provide critical insights for the design of heat sinks in electronic cooling systems, contributing to the broader understanding of PCM-based thermal management solutions and the role of geometric modifications such as radial fins in enhancing heat transfer performance. Keywords: Thermal Management, Phase Change Material, Radial Fin Heat Sink, Thermal Conductivity Enhancer, Thermal Performance, Electronic Components