Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Flow Boiling in Manifold Microchannel

Abstract Nowadays, there is a growing emphasis on the miniaturization and integration of electronic equipment in the field of advanced engineering. The increasing power of electronic devices and the trend towards miniaturization have resulted in higher levels of heat generation. Manifold Microchannels (MMC) heat sinks have emerged as effective solutions for managing the thermal challenges posed by high heat flux electronic devices. In comparison to traditional rectangular microchannels, the staggered fins in MMC induce stronger flow field disturbances, leading to a thinner thermal boundary layer and higher heat transfer coefficients. This study numerically investigates the thermal characteristics and pressure loss of flow boiling in staggered finned microchannels. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is utilized to capture the two-phase interfaces. All simulation cases are conducted under laminar flow conditions, with consideration given to solid-fluid thermal coupling. Specifically, the two-phase flow with HFE-7100 is analyzed. The inlet boundary is set at a constant velocity of 0.35 m/s, 0.565 m/s, and 0.78 m/s, while the heat flux on the bottom surface ranges from 300 W/cm2 to 450 W/cm2 at 319.15 K. The findings indicate that the heat transfer characteristics of staggered fins manifold microchannels outperform those of traditional rectangular manifold microchannels, except in the case of two-phase boiling flow at high heat flux and low flow rates.