Comparison of Forced Convective Heat-Transfer Enhancement of Conventional and Thin Plate-Fin Heat Sinks under Sinusoidal Vibration

Abstract

Applying sinusoidal vibration to heat sinks has proven to be a promising technique for improving heat transfer by disrupting the thermal boundary layer. However, applying sinusoidal vibration to the base of thin plate-fin heat sinks can cause a flapping motion within the fins, further enhancing heat transfer. Therefore, the current study numerically investigates and compares the effects of sinusoidal vibrations on the thermal performance of conventional and thin plate-fin heat sinks. The study concludes that increased vibrational amplitude and frequency (f ˃ 30 Hz) increases the vibration-assisted thermal performance. It was found that the thin plate-fin heat sink provides higher thermal performance compared to the conventional heat sink at every level of vibrational characteristics. The study found that the application of vibration enhances the Nusselt number up to a maximum of 20% and 15% in thin plate-fin and conventional heat sinks, respectively. Furthermore, the Reynolds number is reduced by 33.3% and 28% with thin plate-fin and conventional heat sinks compared with non-vibrating heat sinks, indicating a potential reduction of the size of the cooling system or fin size.