Performance Analysis of Double-Layer Microchannel Heat Sinks under Non-Uniform Heating Conditions with Random Hotspots

Performance analysis of double-layer microchannel heat sinks was performed under non-uniform heating conditions having randomly distributed hotspots. Two parallel-channel (parallel-flow and counter-flow) and one cross-channel (transverse-flow) designs of double-layer heat sink were evaluated with three sets of heating schemes. Each set of heating scheme consisted of eleven randomly distributed hotspots generated by Latin hypercube sampling. The heat flux, area, and location of the hotspots were selected as the design parameters. Conjugate heat transfer analysis of the heat sinks was performed by solving three-dimensional Navier–Stokes and energy equations. Water with temperature-dependent properties was selected as the coolant. The thermal resistance, pressure drop, maximum temperature rise, and temperature variation among hotspots were evaluated for all the heat sinks. The transverse-flow microchannel heat sink exhibited the lowest thermal resistance, temperature rise and temperature variation among the hotspots throughout the specified range of flow rate. The lowest pressure drop was exhibited by the counter-flow heat sink.