Performance Characteristics of MEMS Heat Sinks Using Zig-Zag Microchannel with Semi-Circular Sidewall Ribs

This work details a simulation based on understanding the thermo hydraulic characteristics of a MEMS heat sink using zig-zag microchannels with semi-circular sidewall ribs. The performance of the MEMS heat sink is characterized in terms of thermal resistance and pressure drop. It is identified in this study that the presence of sidewall ribs improves the performance of the MEMS heat sink in comparison with the MEMS heat sinks using straight microchannels. Studies are done for Reynolds number ranging from 250 to 1000 in increments of 250. This study considers the influence of diameter of the semi-circular ribs, orientation of the zig-zag microchannels, hydraulic diameter of the zig-zag microchannel, and number of units of the zig-zag microchannel. It is observed that increase in orientation, number of units, and diameter of the semi-circular ribs lead to decrease and increase in thermal resistance and pressure drop, respectively.