Experimental investigations on phase change material based finned heat sinks for electronic equipment cooling

This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation of the performance of finned heat sinks filled with phase change materials for thermal management of portable electronic devices. The phase change material (PCM) used in this study is n-eicosane and is placed inside a heat sink made of aluminium. Aluminium acts as thermal conductivity enhancer (TCE), as the thermal conductivity of the PCM is very low. The heat sink acts as an energy storage and a heat-spreading module. Studies are conducted for heat sinks on which a uniform heat load is applied for the unfinned and finned cases. The test section considered in all cases in the present work is a 80 × 62 mm² base with TCE height of 25 mm. A 60 × 42 mm² plate heater with 2 mm thickness is used to mimic the heat generation in electronic chips. Heat sinks with pin fin and plate fin geometries having the same volume fraction of the TCE are used. The effect of different types of fins for different power level (ranging from 2 to 7 W) in enhancing the operating time for different set point temperatures and on the duration of latent heating phase were explored in this study. The results indicate that the operational performance of portable electronic device can be significantly improved by the use of fins in heat sinks filled with PCM.     

Thermal analysis of a phase change material based heat sink for cooling protruding electronic chips

This work aims to numerically study the melting natural convection in a rectangular enclosure heated by three discreet protruding electronic chips. The heat sources generate heat at a constant and uniform volumetric rate. A part of the power generated in the heat sources is dissipated to a phase change material (PCM, n-eicosane with melting temperature, Tm = 36°C). Numerical investigations were carried out in order to examine the effects of the plate thickness on the maximum temperature of electronic components, the percentage contribution of plate heat conduction on the total removed heat and temperature profiles in the plate. Correlations for the dimensionless secured working time (time to reach the threshold temperature, Tcr = 75°C) and the corresponding liquid fraction were derived.     

Heat transfer modeling and simulations for electronic cooling systems embedded with phase changing materials

Electronic systems used in communication devices and mission critical systems such as directed‐energy weapons and spacecraft call for requirements to dissipate high heat flux in limited spaces. This study attempts to model the heat transfer in an electronic module, dissipating heat to a coolant in a microchannel as well as to ambient by natural convection and radiation. These results have been used to compare the effectiveness of a new cooling system, embedded with phase changing materials within the heat spreaders. The heat transfer model takes care of the heat stored in the phase changing material, heat transferred by natural convection and radiation effects, in addition to the convection heat transfer in the microchannel cooling passage. Hence, the developed model can successfully take into account the effect of the variation in operating atmospheric conditions which are significant in systems employed in harsh thermal environments. Simulations have been performed for a wide range of heats and appropriate coolant flow rates are being set for a prescribed safe operating temperature of the processor. Simulations for cooling systems with phase changing materials embedded within the available heat spreader shows that it can provide stable operation of electronic systems during peak heat loads as well as in extreme ambient conditions.     

New correlations for heat transfer coefficients during direct cooling of products

An analytical method for determining the heat transfer coefficients of food products being cooled in water and in air flows is presented. Food products are idealized as geometrical solid objects of regular shapes. New correlations between heat transfer coefficients and cooling coefficients are developed in simple forms for practical use in the refrigeration industry. These correlations are then used to determine the heat transfer coefficient for a cylindrical carrot cooled in air flow as an illustrative example. In addition, evaluating the heat transfer coefficients for several products using the available experimental cooling coefficient values from the literature, two new correlations between the heat transfer coefficient and the cooling coefficient are also obtained for water and air cooling applications. The results show that the correlations presented in this article can determine the heat transfer coefficients of food products forced-convection cooling in a simple and accurate manner.     

Fundamental Research on Convective Heat Transfer in Electronic Cooling Technology

During the past six years comprehensive research programs have been conducted at the Beijing PolytechnicUniversity to provide a better understanding of heat transfer characteristics of existing and condidate cool-ing techniques for electronic and microelectronic devices.This paper provides a review and summary of theprograms with emphasis on direct liquid cooling.Included in this review are the heat transfer investigationsrelated to the following cooling modes:liquid free,mixed and forced convection,liquid jet impingement,flowingliquid film cooling,pool boiling,spray cooling,foreign gas jet impingement in liquid pool,and forced convectionair-cooling.     

Thermal performance analysis of a flat slab phase change thermal storage unit with liquid-based heat transfer fluid for cooling applications

This paper presents the results of a thermal performance analysis of a phase change thermal storage unit. The unit consists of several parallel flat slabs of phase change material (PCM) with a liquid heat transfer fluid (HTF) flowing along the passages between the slabs. A validated numerical model developed previously to solve the phase change problem in flat slabs was used. An insight is gained into the melting process by examining the temperatures of the HTF nodes, wall nodes and PCM nodes and the heat transfer rates at four phases during melting. The duration of the melting process is defined based on the level of melting completion. The effects of several parameters on the HTF outlet temperature, heat transfer rate and melting time are evaluated through a parametric study to evaluate the effects of the HTF mass flow rate, HTF inlet temperature, gap between slabs, slab dimensions, PCM initial temperature and thermal conductivity of the container on the thermal performance. The results are used to design a phase change thermal storage unit for a refrigerated truck.     

壳管式相变蓄热器传热效率研究

设计了一套定量测试不同工况下壳管式相变蓄热器传热效率装置。采用壳管式相变储热,石蜡填充入壳管间,管内通入冷、热载流体,模拟吸热放热过程。测试发现:相同入口条件下,单位时间传热量随入口水温增加呈线性增加;管内载流体流量加大有助于提高传热水平,15~60 L/h流量内单位时间传热量增速随流量增加放缓;不同材质传热管单位时间传热量变化并不明显,表明管道热阻在相变蓄热器总热阻中所占份额较小;相同工况下的蓄热过程,热载流体由下向上流动传热形式明显优于由上向下管排形式;尝试在封装相变材料中添加金属网状结构,强化相变材料内部热传导速率,对比发现相同工况下相变材料中添加金属网状结构,可提高10%~15%左右传热量。     

Working fluids for solar,rankine-cycle cooling systems

Data are presented on the selection of appropiate working fluids suitable for solar cooling of buildings. Safety operation, system reliability, fluid thermal stability, pressure drop, heat transfer rates, and maximum allowable heat flux have been investigated for halogenated and fluorinated compounds in several prototype developments that are presently under construction. The results indicate that refrigerant R-113, followed by fluorinert fluid FC-88, are potential candidate working fluids for this type of application.     

A review of materials,heat transfer and phase change problem formulation for latent heat thermal energy storage systems (LHTESS)

This paper reviews the development of latent heat thermal energy storage systems studied detailing various phase change materials (PCMs) investigated over the last three decades, the heat transfer and enhancement techniques employed in PCMs to effectively charge and discharge latent heat energy and the formulation of the phase change problem. It also examines the geometry and configurations of PCM containers and a series of numerical and experimental tests undertaken to assess the effects of parameters such as the inlet temperature and the mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid (HTF). It is concluded that most of the phase change problems have been carried out at temperature ranges between 0 °C and 60 °C suitable for domestic heating applications. In terms of problem formulation, the common approach has been the use of enthalpy formulation. Heat transfer in the phase change problem was previously formulated using pure conduction approach but the problem has moved to a different level of complexity with added convection in the melt being accounted for. There is no standard method (such as British Standards or EU standards) developed to test for PCMs, making it difficult for comparison to be made to assess the suitability of PCMs to particular applications. A unified platform such as British Standards, EU standards needs to be developed to ensure same or similar procedure and analysis (performance curves) to allow comparison and knowledge gained from one test to be applied to another.     

Three-dimensional transient cooling simulations of a portable electronic device using PCM (phase change materials) in multi-fin heat sink

Transient three-dimensional heat transfer numerical simulations were conducted to investigate a hybrid PCM (phase change materials) based multi-fin heat sink. Numerical computation was conducted with different amounts of fins (0 fin, 3 fins and 6 fins), various heating power level (2 W, 3 W and 4 W), different orientation tests (vertical/horizontal/slanted), and charge and discharge modes. Calculating time step (0.03 s, 0.05 s, and 0.07 s) size was discussed for transient accuracy as well. The theoretical model developed is validated by comparing numerical predictions with the available experimental data in the literature. The results showed that the transient surface temperatures are predicted with a maximum discrepancy within 10.2%. The operation temperature can be controlled well by the attendance of phase change material and the longer melting time can be conducted by using a multi-fin hybrid heat sink respectively.     

Loop heat pipe for cooling of high-power electronic components

In this paper, we present a new development of loop heat pipe (LHP) technology in its applications to cooling systems for high-power IGBT elements. An advanced method of LHP evaporator wick manufacturing has been proposed. Following this approach, a 16 mm outer diameter and 280 mm-length LHP evaporator was designed and manufactured. Nickel and titanium particles were used as raw material in LHP evaporator wick fabrication. LHP with a nominal capacity as high as 900 W for steady-state condition and more than 900 W for a periodic mode of operation at a temperature level below 100 °C and a heat transfer distance of 1.5 m was designed through the cooling of a high-power electronic module. An experimental program was developed to execute LHP performance tests and monitor its operability over a span of time. An investigation of the effects of LHP performance of parameters such as evaporator and condenser temperatures and LHP orientation in a gravity field was brought about. As regards the results of this initial series of tests, it was found that LHP spatial orientation within the nominal range of heat loads has no drastic effect on overall LHP functioning, whereas condenser temperature does play an important role, especially in the range of heat load close to critical. A 2D nodal model of the evaporator was developed and provides us with confirmation of the suggestion that when high-power dissipation levels are available, low wick conductivity is well adapted for LHP applications.     

Micro-post evaporator wicks with improved phase change heat transfer performance

We report a modeling and experimental study of micro-post wicks with improved phase change heat transfer performance for evaporators in micro-heat pipes and vapor chambers. A surface energy minimization algorithm is used to predict the shapes of liquid menisci around micro-posts whose geometries have been tailored to increase the fraction of thin-film regions with small thermal resistance. The effects of the apparent contact angle, solid thermal conductivity, and accommodation coefficient are studied. A circular post of uniform cross-section is used as a baseline to evaluate the performance of two alternative post geometries with the same virtual diameter and array spacing. Enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient due to increased fractions of thin-film regions is largest when the relative effects of the liquid conduction or evaporation resistance are large, that is, when the apparent contact angle is large or when the solid thermal conductivity is high. Deep reactive ion etching or electroplating was used to fabricate wick structures out of silicon or copper with aspect ratios as high as 14. The heat transfer performance of the wicks are experimentally tested in a controlled ambient and the effective heat transfer coefficient is determined using a 3D heat transfer model to account for heat spreading. At low and moderate heat fluxes (<20 W/cm²), the experimentally measured performance is consistent with our modeling results.     

A new heat transfer correlation for supercritical fluids

A new method of heat transfer prediction in supercritical fluids is presented. Emphasis is put on the simplicity of the correlation structure and its explicit coupling with physical phenomena. Assessment of qualitative behaviour of heat transfer is conducted based on existing test data and experience gathered from open literature. Based on phenomenological analysis and test data evaluation, a single dimensionless number, the acceleration number, is introduced to correct the deviation of heat transfer from its conventional behaviour, which is predicted by the Dittus-Boelter equation. The new correlation structure excludes direct dependence of heat transfer coefficient on wall surface temperature and eliminates possible numerical convergence. The uncertainty analysis of test data provides information about the sources and the levels of uncertainties of various parameters and is highly required for the selection of both the dimensionless parameters implemented into the heat transfer correlation and the test data for the development and validation of new correlations. Comparison of various heat transfer correlations with the selected test data shows that the new correlation agrees better with the test data than other correlations selected from the open literature.     

相变材料应用于墙体的数值传热研究

分析相变材料的特点和相变墙体传热理论研究与应用现状,指出相变墙体材料的研制方向。对不同构造相变墙体建立了传热理论模型,采用显热容法运用数值模拟方法模拟了在周期性变化的室外边界条件下,相变储能墙体内的传热过程及墙体内表面的温度变化。计算结果表明:储能墙体中的相变材料层是影响墙体传热的重要因素之一。     

管壳式相变储能换热器的优化设计

叙述了利用优化设计理论对管壳式相变储能换热器进行优化设计的方法。以该装置的成本为优化目标,储热量,放热时间,传热量,加工和防腐要求作为约束条件,得出了最佳的管子半径,厚度及管子根数,并给出了一个计算实例。     

Experimental research on heat transfer mechanism of heat sink with composite phase change materials

A rapid thermal response composite phase change material (PCM) is prepared by absorbing paraffin into expanded graphite, which is of excellent absorbability. The highest thermal conductivity of the composite samples can reach 4.676 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. The prepared composite PCM has excellent thermal storage performance and its heat storage period and heat release period are shortened 65.3% and 26.2%, respectively, compared with that of the paraffin. Applying the composite PCM to an electronic device’s heat sink can effectively improve the performance of resisting the shock of high heat flux and ensure the reliability and operating stability of electronic and electrical equipment. The experimental results show that the apparent heat transfer coefficients of the experimental heat sink with the PCM are 1.36–2.98 times higher than those of the heat sink without the PCM. Based upon the quadratic equation, the total relative uncertainty of the experimental system is estimated that .     

Novel gelatinous shape-stabilized phase change materials with high heat storage density

A series of polyol acetal derivatives were synthesized through condensation reactions of aromatic aldehyde with polyols, including sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and pentaerythritol. They were examined as gelators in the formation of paraffin-based shape-stabilized phase change materials (PCMs), in which 1,3:2,4-di-(4-methyl) benzylidene sorbitol (MDBS) exhibited excellent thermal stability. Three-dimensional netted structural phase change materials were obtained by paraffin doped with different gelators, which were thermally stable so that no leakage of paraffin occurs even under higher temperature than the melting point of paraffin. It was found that PCMs doped with 3 wt% expanded and exfoliated graphite (EG) exhibited better thermal conductivity, similar phase change temperature and heat storage density.