Hydrodynamic and Thermal Characteristics of Single-Phase and Two-Phase Micro-Pin-Fin Heat Sinks

The pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of single-phase and two-phase micro-pin-fin heat sinks were investigated experimentally. Fabricated from 110 copper, the heat sink contained an array of 1950 staggered square micro-pin-fins with 200×200 μm2 cross-section by 670 μm height. The ratios of longitudinal pitch and transverse pitch to pin-fin hydraulic diameter are equal to 2. Deionized water was employed as the cooling liquid. A coolant inlet temperature of 30 °C, and six maximum mass velocities, ranging from 183 to 420 kg/m2s, were tested. The corresponding inlet Reynolds number ranged from 45.9 to 105.9. General hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of the two flow regimes of single-phase flow and flow boiling were described. The measured temperature distribution was used to evaluate single-phase heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number. Predictions of the previous friction factor and heat transfer correlations that were developed for low Reynolds number (Re<1000) single-phase flow in short pin-fin arrays were compared to the present micro-pin-fin single-phase pressure drop and Nusselt number data, respectively. The Short et al friction factor correlation and the Kos¸ar et al. heat transfer correlation provided acceptable predictions.