Fractal Algorithms Applied to the Design of Multi-Microchannel Heat Sinks

Abstract

The study focuses on the design of heat sinks composed of microchannel networks. The methodological approach is based on the use of fractal algorithms to generate interconnected multimicrochannel structures in a two-dimensional arrangement that forms the thermal sink. The microchannel configuration is numerically generated through an algorithm that identifies the intersections and connections of fractal geometries. This arrangement is subjected to thermo-hydraulic analysis, integrating the boundary conditions of the problem and the properties of the fluids used. The software employed is open-source, developed in-house, and programmed in Python. The fluid mechanics equations are nonlinear in nature and are solved by linearizing the terms using the Newton-Raphson Method. The linearized systems of equations are tackled with the Gaussian Elimination Method. The results encompass a variety of heat sink designs with diverse microchannel configurations, through which the mass flow, pressure, and temperature distributions of the fluid in each microchannel of the network are calculated. The numerical results obtained allow for the optimization of fractal geometries of microchannels, with different approaches such as maximizing heat transfer, reducing pressure drop, improving flow distribution, or a combination of both.