Thermal Resistance and Pressure Drop of Silicon Based Micro Pin Fin Heat Exchanger Under Cross Flow

Abstract

We have performed a parametric study of the thermal and hydraulic performance of silicon-based micro pin fin heat exchangers with water as the fluid. Circular and square micro pin fins have been fabricated. The pin dimensions ranged from 50 μm to 150 μm. The test chip is unique because it has 20 micro temperature sensors of the size 75 μm × 75 μm to accurately capture the thermal resistance of the micro pin fin heat exchanger. Data shows that there is no difference in the hydraulic and the thermal resistance of circular and square pins. Conventional correlations for friction factor and Nusselt number match well with the data.