Flow Boiling in a Heat Sink Embedded With Hexagonally Linked Minichannels

Abstract

The thermal hydraulic performance of a miniature heat sink during flow boiling of distilled water is presented in this article. The unique design of the heat sink contains a number of microchannels of 1 mm × 1 mm cross section arranged in a regular hexagonal array. The design facilitates repeated division and joining of individual streams from different microchannels and thereby can enhance heat transfer. Individual slug bubble experiences a typical route of break up, coalescence, and growth. The randomness of these processes enhances the transport of heat. With the increase of vapor quality the heat transfer coefficient increases, reaches the maximum value, and then drops. The maximum heat transfer coefficient occurs at an exit vapor quality much higher than that observed in conventional parallel microchannel heat sinks. Repeated redistribution of the coolant in the interlinked channels and the restricted growth of the slug bubbles may be responsible for this trend.