Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Mini-Channel Graphite Foam and Aluminum Heat Sinks

Effective thermal management is crucial for improving the performance and reliability ofelectronic devices with increasing power densities. In this study, a novel modificationapproach was proposed by introducing cylindrical mini-channels along the flow directionof block graphite foam material. For comparison, an aluminum heat sink with the samemini-channel configuration was also developed, as aluminum is commonly used in heattransfer applications. Both heat sinks with a mini-channel diameter of 2 mm werenumerically investigated. Subsequently, parametric studies were conducted within aReynolds number (Re) range of 163–1862 using COMSOL Multiphysics by varying thethe number of channels (41, 50, and 59). The influence of these parameters on the Nusseltnumber (Nu), pressure drop (ΔP), and thermal performance factor (η) were systematicallyevaluated. The results indicate that Nu and ΔP increase with Re for both heat sinks.Increasing the number of channels improves Nu without causing a significant rise in ΔP,resulting in a moderate increase in η. A comparison between aluminum and graphite foamheat sinks reveals that, although the porous structure of graphite foam ensuresconsistently lower ΔP, Nu values remain comparable due to the balance between its highspecific surface area and the high thermal conductivity of aluminum with added surfacearea from mini-channels.