Experimental investigation of heat transfer performance for a novel microchannel heat sink

We demonstrated a novel microchannel heat sink with a high local heat transfer efficiency contributed by a complicated microchannel system, which comprises parallel longitudinal microchannels etched in a silicon substrate and transverse microchannels electroplated on a copper heat spreader. The thermal boundary layer develops in transverse microchannels. Meanwhile, the heat transfer area is increased compared with the conventional microchannel heat sink only having parallel longitudinal microchannels. Both benefits yield high local heat transfer efficiency and enhance the overall heat transfer, which is attractive for the cooling of high heat flux electronic devices. Infrared tests show the temperature distribution in the test objects. The effects of flow rate and heat flux levels on heat transfer characteristics are presented. A uniform temperature distribution is obtained through the heating area. The reference temperatures decrease with the increasing flow rate from 0.64 ml min(-1) to 6.79 ml min(-1) for a constant heat flux of 10.4 W cm(-2). A heat flux of 18.9 W cm(-2) is attained at a flow rate of 6.79 ml min(-1) for assuring the maximum temperature of the microchannel heat sink less than the maximum working temperature of electronic devices.