Thermal performance of optimized interrupted microchannel heat sink (IMCHS) using nanofluids

An interrupted microchannel heat sink (IMCHS) using nanofluids as working fluids is analyzed numerically to increase the heat transfer rate. The rectangular IMCHS is designed with length and width of 10 mm and 0.057 mm respectively while optimum cut section number, n_c = 3. The three dimensional governing equations (continuity, momentum and energy) were solved using finite volume method (FVM). Parametric study of thermal performance between pure water-cooled and nanofluid-cooled IMCHS are evaluated for particle diameter in the range of, 30 nm to 60 nm, volume fraction in the range of, 1% to 4%,nanofluid type of Al₂O₃, CuO, and SiO₂ at Reynolds number range of 140 to 1034 are examined. The effects of the transport properties, nanofluid type, nanoparticle volume fraction and particle diameter are investigated on the IMCHS performance. It is inferred that the Nu number for IMCHS is higher than the conventional MCHS with a slight increase of the pressure drop. It is found that highest thermal augmentation is predicted for Al₂O₃, followed by CuO, and finally for SiO₂ in terms of Nu_nf/Nu_pw in the IMCHS. The Nu number increased with the increase of nanoparticle volume fraction and with the decrease of nanoparticle diameter.