1.

Introduction

Micro-channel heat sinks constitute an innovative cooling technology for the removal of a large
amount of heat from a small area. The heat sink is usually made from a high thermal
conductivity solid such as silicon or copper with the micro-channels fabricated into its surface by
either precision machining or micro-fabrication technology. These micro-channels serve as flow
passages for the cooling liquid. Micro-channel heat sinks combine the attributes of very high
surface area to volume ratio, large convective heat transfer coefficient, small mass and volume,
and small coolant inventory. These attributes render these heat sinks very suitable for cooling
devices such as high-performance microprocessors, laser diode arrays, radars, and high-energy-
laser mirrors.

Due to miniaturizations of the electronic components and due to space considerations and
demand for high speeds, the cooling of electronic components has become a tough
challenge. So we need compact heat exchangers which can cool these components at faster
rates and may be small in their size so, micro channel type compact heat exchangers offer
advantages due to higher heat transfer coefficients. The large surface to volume ratios helps
in enhanced heat transfer rates in micro-channels. Investigation of micro-channels is based
on the single phase internal flow correlation for convective heat transfer:

K
h = Nu (1)
Dh

Nusselt number remains a constant for internal flow. Above mentioned correlation is
investigated by Tuckerman and pease[1]. Their results encouraged and motivated others to
investigate heat transfer in micro-channels. To investigate both flow and velocity
characteristics of a liquid flowing through a microchannel, a microchannel test section was
fabricated. Water as a cooling fluid is taken from a reservoir with the help of a pump,
which provides steady and smooth flow over wide range of flow rates. Flow rate from 0.5
L/min. to 3.5 L/min. are used in this investigation. The fluid enters into the copper micro-
channel test section through inlet plenum. The fluid takes the heat from the micro-channel

1
test section, which is heated by using catridge heating system. Hot fluid then exits from the
test section and passes through the heat exchanger which is used for lowering the
temperature of working fluid i.e. water. After that working fluid goes to reservoir. Closed
loop cooling system is used in the experimental set-up.

The equivalent hydraulic diameter was calculated using the following expression:

Dh = 4 A / P (2)

Figure 1. Flow Diagram Experimental Setup

Thermocouples were used to measure temperature at different cross-sections of micro

channel walls. Data acquisition system is used to read the temperatures which provide
temperature distribution across the length of micro-channels. Heat gain by the coolant is
provided by the following equation:

q = ρ c p Q (Tm , o − Tm ,i ) (3)

Where, Q is volumetric flow rate, (Tm , o and Tm ,i ) are inlet and outlet fluid temperatures.
The heat transfer coefficient is determined from the following relation:

2
 h = q / [ NA(Tw − Tm )] (4)

Flow rates are being obtained with the help of needle valve used in the circuit. Once the
flow get stabilized, heat is supplied to the MCHS through cartridge heaters provided in the
bottom of MCHS. The temperature measurements from all the sensors are stored using data
acquisition system during the experiments.

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 2. Literature Review

This section discusses the primary areas where active research and development activities
take place in the field of micro channels.

Micro channels are the heat sinks which can transfer large amount of heat and can be
fabricated by different techniques. Micro-channels were used first time by Tuckerman and
Pease [1]. They used water as a coolant under laminar conditions through micro-channels.

Peng and Peterson [10] experimentally studied forced convective heat transfer and water
flow characteristics in microchannels and plates with hydraulic diameters (D) ranging from
133 to 367 µm. Friction factors were correlated and found to be a function of duct
gemetrical configurations including duct cross section aspect ratio.

Mala and Li [2] investigated water flows through 50–254 µm ID microtubes. Pressure drop and
flow rates were measured for flow characteristic analysis. The effect of the tube surface
condition on flow characteristics was also examined.

Chein-Yuh Yang et.al.[11] investigated that at lower values of Reynolds No., the
temperature variation increases along length and heat losses are higher in the downstream.
As the value of Re increases, friction factor decreases but pressure drop, heat transfer
coefficient and pumping power increases[12].

Surface roughness plays an important role in the micro-channel performances [4], since at
micro level it is nearly impossible to obtain smooth surface. Large roughness of the micro-
channel causes high friction factor[5]. Nowadays nano particles are used for the
enhancement of heat transfer rates but they also raises pressure drop [6].

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 3. Objective and Scope

In present study, heat transfer in single phase through micro channels is studied.
Investigations are made on the above mentioned factors by flowing water under laminar
condition through a rectangular micro channel and presented in the form of graphs using
Fluent Ansys. The pressure drop at different Reynolds number were measured and
observed. The friction factor was thus obtained for different mass flow rates. Variation of
heat transfer rates, effect of friction factor, effect of pressure drop and variation in
temperature distribution is analyzed. The objective of this study is to broaden our
fundamental understanding of this important emerging field of micro fluidics and obtain
appropriate correlations for the practical design of such channels.

In general, Reynolds number is low in micro fluidic channels. As a result flow most likely
to be laminar under normal conditions especially for liquid and hence diffusion rather than
turbulence affects the mixing. To improve mixing, obstacles can be placed in the channel
to try to disrupt flow. Proper mixing does improve the heat transfer without sacrificing the
pressure drop too much.

Nano particles can also be used in place of liquid water are for the enhancement of heat
transfer rates and further comparison can be drawn out in reference to pressure drop,
friction factor, temperature rise along the length of channel walls.

Flow pattern recognition can be observed to know the exact position of tracing particles at
different time interval to facilitate the comparison between laminar and turbulent flow and
understand the flow behavior inside the micro-channel.

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 4. Work Done, Results and Discussions

The following table gives the micro-channel characterization and parameter being
considered in this experiment. Fig2. shows that a rectangular micro-channel with water as a
coolant under laminar, fully developed condition is allowed to pass through channel with
uniform heat flux of 17.77W/cm2.

Characterization Dimension

Channel hydraulic 0.61mm

diameter(Dh)
Channel width(w) 0.347mm

Channel depth(d) 2.5mm

Channe length(l) 10mm

Coolant water

Flow type Laminar,

fully
developed
Reynolds Number(Re) 400 to 2000

Heat flux(q) 177700W/m2

Flow rate(Q) 0.5 to 2.5

LPM

Table 1. Microchannel characterization

Fig 2. Rectangular micro-channel

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4.1. Pressure drop

The experiments were conducted with Reynolds number Re up to about 2000 for a micro
channel with a hydraulic diameter of about 0.61mm.In figure 3, the pressure drop measurements
were plotted as a function of Reynolds number. For Re < 2000, the relationship seems to change
to a nonlinear increase as Re increases. It was observed that with increase in velocity the
pressure drop also increases. But it is also observed that effect of heat flux on pressure drop is
negligible. These trends are similar to those of Mala and Li [2].

Pressure Drop vs Reynolds Number at Different Heat Fluxes

7000

6000

5000
Pressure(Pa)

Heat flux=177700
4000 W/m2
3000
Heat flux=355500
2000 W/m2

1000

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Reynolds Number(Re)

Fig 3. Pressure drop vs Reynolds number

4.2. Friction factor

The variation of fanning friction factors were plotted against Reynolds number varying
from 400 to 2000 as shown in figure 4. for micro-channels having hydraulic diameter 0.61
mm and depth 2.5 mm. It was observed that fanning friction decreases with increases in
Reynolds no. It has been observed from the Figure 5 that there is negligible effect of heat
flux on fanning friction. As seen from the figure, that the fanning friction line remains
straight with variation in heat flux values. The present results obviously agree with Mala
and Li [2] and Peng et al [3].

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 Fanning Friction Factor vs
Reynolds Number
0.06
Fanning friction(f)

0.05
Heat
0.04
flux=177700
0.03 W/m2
0.02
0.01
0
0 1000 2000 3000

Reynolds Number(Re)

Fig 4. Fanning friction vs Reynolds number

Fanning Friction vs Hear Flux at Different

Reynolds Number
0.06
Fanning Friction (f)

0.05
0.04
0.03
Re= 384
0.02
0.01 Re= 767
0
0 50 100 150
Heat Flux, q (W/cm2)

Fig 5. Fanning friction vs Heat flux

4.3. Temperature distribution

Figure 6 shows the temperature distributions along the length of micro channel heat sink
(MCHS) measured at every 2mm at different flow rates and hear flux of 177700 W/m2,
with large mass flow rates rise in temperature of micro-channel walls becomes low i.e.
cooling will be better[7].

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 Temp distribution along the length of MCHS at diferent flow
rates
308
307
306
305
304
T (K)

303 Q=0.5LPM
302 Q=1 LPM

301
300
299
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012
X (m)

Fig 6. Temperature vs distance (along the length of MCHS)

5. Conclusion

Heat transfer analysis is being made for the fluid flow through rectangular micro-channel
using Fluent Ansys software. Variation of heat transfer rates, effect of friction factor, effect of
pressure drop and variation in temperature distribution is investigated in this study The
conclusions made throughout the study are discussed in this section. The pressure drop
increases with increase in velocity of fluid, i.e. Reynolds number thereby increases heat
flux removal rate. Fanning friction factor decreases as there is increase in Reynolds number
but independent of heat flux. The heat transfer rate from MCHS increases with increase in
mass flow rate. And in turn pressure loss is converted into heat which is carried by the
water which was used as cooling agent. So it is observed that conventional mathematical
correlations or equations used for conventional channels can be used for micro-channels.

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 6. References
[1] D.B. Tuckerman, R.F.W. Pease, High-performance heat sinking for VLSI, IEEE
Electron Dev. Lett. 2 (1981) 126– 129
[2] Mala G M and Li D 1999 Flow characteristics of water in microtubes Int. J. Heat Fluid
Flow 20 142–8
[3] Peng X F, Peterson G P and Wong B X 1995 Frictional flow characteristics of water
flowing through rectangular microchannels Experimental Heat Transfer 7 249–64
[4] Giulio Croce , Paola D’agaro, Carlo Nonino: Three-Dimensional Roughness Effect On
Micro-channel Heat Transfer And Pressure Drop, International Journal of Heat and Mass
Transfer 50 (2007) 5249–5259.
[5] Zeng-Yuan Guo, Zhi-Xin Li, Size Effect on Microscale Single-Phase Flow and Heat
Transfer, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 46 (2003) 149-159.
[6] S.M.Peyghambarzadeh, S.H.Hashemabadi, Experimental Study of Heat Transfer
Enhancement Using Water/Ethylene Glycol Based Nanofluids as a New Coolent for Car
Radiator, International Communication in Heat and Mass Transfer 38 (2011) 1283-1290
[7] International Journal of Recent advances in Mechanical Engineering (IJMECH) Vol.5, No.3,
August 2016
[8] Liquid flow in a micro-channel, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Volume
14, Issue 4, pp. 436-445 (2004). Hsieh, Shou-Shing; Lin, Chih-Yi; Huang, ChFeng; Tsai, Huang-
Hsiu
[9] Experimental investigations of flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop in straight and
expanding microchannels–a comparative study
K Balasubramanian, PS Lee, LW Jin, SK Chou, CJ Teo - International Journal of Thermal
Sciences, 2011

[10] Peng X F and Peterson G P 1996 Convective heat transfer and flow friction for water flow
in microchannel structure Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 39 2599–608
[11] Chein-Yuh Yang, Chia-Wei Chen, Ting-Yu Lin, Satish Kandlikar. Heat Transfer and
Friction Characteristics of Air Flow in Microtubes, Experimental Thermal and Flud
Science 37 (2012) 12-18.
[12] B. S. Gawali S. D. Thakre V. B. Swami Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of
Heat Transfer Characteristics through a Rectangular Microchannel Heat Sink International
Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 3, Issue 8,
August 2014.

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