Numerical study of the fluid flow and heat transfer in a finned heat sink using Ansys Icepak

Abstract

This research studies a three-dimensional fluid flow, and heat transfer in the heat sink numerically using air as a coolant. The numerical effects of the number of fins and their thickness on the performance of the heat sink are investigated using Ansys Icepak. Various fin numbers and fin thicknesses are used to check the heat sink’s optimal thermal performance. The results demonstrated that the maximum temperature, pressure drop, and thermal resistance decrease with the increase in the fin number and thickness. According to the results, the optimal thickness and number of fins for the current study are 15 and 0.25 mm, respectively. Also, it is observed that increasing the number of fins has a greater effect than increasing the thickness of the fins on the maximum temperature, pressure drop, and thermal resistance.

Keywords

• ansys icepak
• maximum temperature
• thermal resistance
• heat sink
• rectangular fins