Research Work on Micro-Fins Heat Transfer for Cooling System

Cooling is aimed at removing unwanted heat. It is thus a major concern for industrial, electronic

and power generation systems. The cooling method can be either active or passive [1]. For the

active cooling method, there is electrical or mechanical power input (macro-cooling, for example

fan used to cool a room). On the other hand, a passive cooling system (micro-fin cooling system)

does not use any power but rather uses natural laws to enhance cooling.

The technology employed in passive cooling system includes use of fins. Heat transfer is

enhanced through increasing exchanging surface. There are two types of fins that can be used in

cooling system that is the micro-fins and macro-fins.

In modern world design of micro-scaled products has increased with the technology of micro-

cooling for example use of micro-fins. This technology requires less space, few materials and is

faster in its performance [2]. This technology is mostly used in electronic cooling, LED

applications and in generation of solar power to remove heat waste that they generate. The

cooling mechanism need to be highly cost effective and efficient. Also, micro-fins are more

reliable as they are not prone to cooling failures as compared to active cooling systems which

need energy input to enhance cooling.

As such micro-fins can solve the problem of space and volume when compared to macro-cooling

systems. The convective heat transfer needs to be applied in order to optimize heat transfer using

micro-fins. Both heat sink geometric and heat transfer coefficient has to be investigated. For a

heat sink with micro-fins arranged vertically upwards, it is found that radiation contributes in

part of the heat transfer (around 22%) [2]. As such, radiative exchange should be considered
when designing micro-scale cooling system. Other researchers have proved that it is impossible

to use macro-scale cooling system relations in micro-fin heat transfer system.

From the previous work by other authors, it has been found that micro-fin arrays with height

ranging between 0.1 to 0.2 mm could produce thermal exchange up to 10%. It has also, been

found that the effect of orientation can be neglected for the horizontal and vertical micro-fin

arrays. In addition, it has also been found that convective thermal exchange increases with

decreasing the micro-fin height while fin spacing is kept constant [1].

An array of micro-fins is used to enhance heat transfer rate from the base surface. This

technology increases the surface area where heat transfer takes place. The micro-fin arrays and

geometries help create turbulence in the flowing fluid which further improves heat transfer

coefficient [4]. However, this method results in pressure drop, a critical condition for high

performance applications. It can therefore be said that optimized fin array and geometry are

conciliation of pressure drop, performance, size and weight. The micro-fin material is usually of

high thermal conductivity. The fins enhance convective heat transfer by creating difference in

temperature between the object and its environment. Aluminium is the preferred material

because of its high thermal conductivity and as well as light weight.

Other researchers have proposed many techniques through numerical, analytical and

experimental analysis for the effectiveness of micro-fins heat exchanger. They have also tried to

find out how the shape and size of the micro-fins affect heat transfer in the system.

From the research conducted by Isak Kotcioglu1 et [5], heat transfer rate in the system depends

cooling rate of air temperature at the inlet. However, the effect decreases with increase in Reynolds

number. The figure below shows that hexagonal fin arrays have a higher heat transfer rate because
of higher turbulence than circular fin and square pin-fins. The presence of recirculation zones helps

in mixing of the fluid at the boundary layer thus promoting convective heat transfer [5].

Figure1: Average temperature against Reynolds number [5].

There are various shapes of fins that can be used in in micro-scale cooling system such as the

rhombic, elliptic, cylindrical, stepped, tapered and combination of these or other geometries. From

the work done by Kwang-Yong Kim [6], when the cross -sectional area of the fins is changed from

circular to another shape the overall heat transfer increases while the pressure drops. Thus, the size

and shape of the fins will compromise between pressure loss and heat transfer.

From the research done by Natarajan et al [8], they found that thickness of the fins does not offer

significant effect on heat transfer. This is because thicker fins would cause heat losses through

conduction as well as suppress heat losses through convection between fins. Bar-Cohen et al [7]

come up with a method of designing heat sink to minimize weight while maximizing heat transfer.

Later Do et al [10] proved relation between micro-fin geometries, angle of tilt and coefficient of

heat transfer. Leonardo et al [2] come up with a correlation between thermal behavior and fin
geometries. In this case, it was found that coefficient of heat transfer increases with decrease in fin

height, increase in fin spacing and also with increase in fin thickness.

From the work done by Sidy et al [10], it is again found that heat transfer can be increased by

adding enhancement surfaces. The enhancement surfaces increase the heat transfer area as well as

heat transfer coefficients by interrupting boundary layers, flow mixing and interrupting turbulent

transport. In the study of Sidy et al [10] micro-fin circular array was used as the surface

enhancement. Their micro-fins had area enhancement equal to Atotal/Abase = 2.44. The respective

dimensions of the pins were: diameter 0.125 mm, height 0.23 mm and pitch of 0.25 mm.

The figure below shows heat transfer coefficeint for enhanced and smooth surfaces being

compared.

Figure 2: heat transfer coeficient for enhanced (using micro-fins) and smooth surfaces [10].
From the work done by Sidy [10], there is high enhancement factor of 3.03 in the heat trasnfer

coefficient. The enhancement of heat transfer (3.03) is larger compared to the area enhancement

(2.44). for paraller micr-fins, the enhancement heat transfer will be higher than 3.03. This suggest

that the shape and size of the micro-fins will play a key role in improving heat transfer of the

system.

From the previous work done by Bogdan et al [11], rate of heat transfer can be increased by

increasing flow turbulence. However, the turbulence flow cannot reach it maximum strength

because of the viscous sublayer. This layer is situated near the no-slip boundary. At this boundary

flow velocity starts decreasing changing the flow to laminar. As the flow changes to laminar, heat

transfer decreases. The presence of micro-fins helps to disturb the viscous sublayer thus creating

turbulence which then increases heat transfer. The strength of the turbulence depends on the

geometry, size and shape of the micro-fins used. When smooth micro-fins and tetrahedral fins are

compared, the tetrahedral fins will offer a higher heat transfer because of their shape and geometry.

The main objective of this research work is to find the size, geometry and shape to be used in

design of micro-fins to offer the highest heat transfer possible.

From this research work the improved design will constitute certain size parameters to help

optimize heat transfer. The prescribed design parameters are height, area and spacing. The micro-

fin height is to be 0.2 mm. This will help in disturb the viscous sublayer thus creating turbulence

responsible for higher heat transfer. From the previous research work by Bogdan [10] the height

was in range of 0.3 to 0.4 mm. From the research sources decreasing the height will increase the

heat transfer thus the height is reduced to 0.2mm. The section of the duct pipe will be 25 mm in

length while its area should be at least 600 mm2. The spaces between the micro-fins will be 0.4
mm and it will be equal for the whole design. The proposed shape for the micro-fins is 45 degree

tetrahedral. This shape was preferred because from the previous research work it offered the

highest heat transfer compared to other shapes such as augmented egg crate, egg crate, double

slanted airfoil and perpendicular with channels.

References

1. Abbas Jassem Jubear and Ali A. F. Al- Hamadani, Mechanical Engineering Department,

Wasit University, Kut-Wasit-Iraq, the effect of fin height on free convection heat transfer

from rectangular fin array, July 2015 pg. 6.

2. Leonardo Micheli, K.S.Reddy, Tapas K.Mallick, general correlations among geometry,

orientation and thermal performance of natural convective micro-finned heat sinks,

Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn,

Cornwall, UK

3. Hossein Shokouhmand, Ali Ahmadpour, Heat Transfer from a Micro Fin Array Heat Sink

by Natural Convection and Radiation under Slip Flow Regime, Proceedings of the World

Congress on Engineering 2010 Vol II WCE 2010, June 30 - July 2, 2010, London, U.K.

4. Saroj Yadav, Krishna Murari Pandey, A Parametric Thermal Analysis of Triangular Fins

for Improved Heat Transfer in Forced Convection, National Institute of Technology

Silchar, India.
5. Isak Kotcioglu1, Gokhan Omeroglu1 and Sinan Caliskan, Thermal Performance and

Pressure Drop of Different Pin-Fin Geometries, Atatürk University, Department of

Mechanical Engineering, Erzurum, TURKEY, Jan 2014.

6. Kwang-Yong Kim • Mi-Ae Moon, Optimization of a stepped circular pin-fin array to

enhance heat transfer performance, Inha University, November 2009.

7. Bar-Cohen A, Iyengar M, Kraus AD. Design of Optimum Plate-Fin Natural Convective

Heat Sinks. J Electron Packag

8. Natarajan SK, Mallick TK, Katz M, Weingaertner S. Numerical investigations of solar cell

temperature for photovoltaic concentrator system with and without passive cooling

arrangements.

9. Do KH, Kim TH, Han Y-S, Choi B-I, Kim M-B. General correlation of a natural convective

heat sink with plate-fins for high concentrating photovoltaic module cooling

10. Sidy Ndao, Hee Joon Lee, Yoav Peles, Michael K. Jensen. Heat transfer enhancement from

micro pin fins subjected to an impinging jet, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and

Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.

11. Bogdan, Ryan, Mike, Sierra. Heat Transfer Optimization in a Microfin Array final report,

Kansas State University, College of Engineering and Computer Science April, 2018.