Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A novel trapezoid fin pattern applicable for air-cooled heat sink

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Heat and Mass Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study proposed a novel step or trapezoid surface design applicable to air-cooled heat sink under cross flow condition. A total of five heat sinks were made and tested, and the corresponding fin patterns are (a) plate fin; (b) step fin (step 1/3, 3 steps); (c) 2-step fin (step 1/2, 2 steps); (d) trapezoid fin (trap 1/3, cutting 1/3 length from the rear end) and (e) trapezoid fin (trap 1/2, cutting 1/2 length from the rear end). The design is based on the heat transfer augmentation via (1) longer perimeter of entrance region and (2) larger effective temperature difference at the rear part of the heat sink. From the test results, it is found that either step or trapezoid design can provide a higher heat transfer conductance and a lower pressure drop at a specified frontal velocity. The effective conductance of trap 1/3 design exceeds that of plate surface by approximately 38 % at a frontal velocity of 5 m s−1 while retains a lower pressure drop of 20 % with its surface area being reduced by 20.6 %. For comparisons exploiting the overall thermal resistance versus pumping power, the resultant thermal resistance of the proposed trapezoid design 1/3, still reveals a 10 % lower thermal resistance than the plate fin surface at a specified pumping power.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Abbreviations

A b :

Base suface area of the heat sink (m2)

A f :

Fin surface area (m2)

A o :

Total heat transfer surface area (m2)

Cp :

Specific heat at constant pressure of air (J kg−1 K−1)

h :

Average convective heat transfer coefficient (W m−2 K−1)

k :

Thermal conductivity of air (W m−1 K−1)

\(\dot{m}\) :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

Q :

Heat transfer rate (W)

R:

Thermal resistance (K W−1)

T :

Temperature (K)

V f :

Frontal velocity (m s−1)

\(\dot{V}\) :

Volumetric air flow rate (m3 s−1)

W :

Width of heat sink (m)

\(\dot{W}\) :

Pumping power (W)

ΔT m :

Effcetive mean temperature difference (K)

ΔP :

Total pressure drop (Pa)

η f :

Fin efficiency, dimensionless

η o :

Surface efficiency, dimensionless

air :

Air

avg :

Average

in :

Inlet

m:

Mean value

plate :

Plain fin surface

s:

Surface

step:

Step

trap:

Trapezoid

out :

Outlet

References

  1. Chu RC, Simons RE, Ellsworth MJ, Schmidt RR, Cozzolino V (2004) Review of cooling technologies for computer products. IEEE Trans Device Mater Mater Reliab 4:568–584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kraus A, Bar-Cohen A, Wative AA (2015) Cooling electric equipment. Mech Eng Handb IV:1:12:1–47

  3. Agostini B, Fabbri M, Park JE, Wojtan L, Thome JR, Micchel B (2007) State of the art of high heat flux cooling technologies. Heat Transf Eng 28(4):258–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sun H, Ma CF, Nakayama W (1993) Local characteristics of convective heat transfer from simulated microelectronic chips to impinging submerged round water jets. ASME J Electron Packag 115:71–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mohanty AK, Tawfeek AA (1993) Heat transfer due to a round jet impinging normal to a flat surface. Int J Heat Mass Transf 36:1639–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Charles C, Wang CC (2014) A novel heat dissipation fin design applicable for natural convection augmentation. Int Commun Heat Mass Transf 59:24–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Yu X, Feng J, Feng Q, Wang Q (2005) Development of a plate-pin fin heat sink and its performance comparisons with a plate fin heat sink. Appl Therm Eng 25:173–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Yang YT, Peng HS (2009) Investigation of planted pin fins for heat transfer enhancement in plate fin heat sink. Microelectron Reliab 49:163–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Yang KS, Chiang CM, Lin YT, Chien KH, Wang CC (2007) On the heat transfer characteristics of heat sinks: influence of fin spacing at low Reynolds number region. Int. J Heat Mass Transf 50:2667–2674

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Kim DK, Sung JJ, Kim J (2010) Thermal optimization of plate-fin heat sinks with variable fin thickness. Int. J Heat Mass Transf 53:5988–5995

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Yang KS, Jhong JH, Lin YT, Chien KH, Wang CC (2010) On the heat transfer characteristics of heat sinks: with and without vortex generators. IEEE Trans Compon Packag Technol 33:391–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Yang KS, Li SL, Chen IY, Chien KH, Wang CC (2010) Analysis of air cooling thermal module using various enhancements at low Reynolds number region. Int. J Heat Mass Transf 53:5675–5681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ejlali A, Ejlali A, Hooman K, Gurgenci H (2009) Application of high porosity metal foams as air-cooled heat exchangers to high heat load removal systems. Int Commun Heat Mass Transf 36:674–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang CC, Yang KS, Liu YP, Chen IY (2011) Effect of cannelure fin configuration on compact aircooling heat sink. Appl Therm Eng 31:1640–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. ASHRAE Standard 41.2-1987, Standard methods for laboratory air-flow measurement. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, 1987

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank for the support from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, under contract 104-3113-E-009-004.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, EE474, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Chien-Hung Chen & Chi-Chuan Wang

Authors
  1. Chien-Hung Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chi-Chuan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chi-Chuan Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, CH., Wang, CC. A novel trapezoid fin pattern applicable for air-cooled heat sink. Heat Mass Transfer 51, 1631–1637 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1666-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1666-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation