Heat transfer and pressure drop in a ZrB₂ microchannel heat sink: A numerical approach

Advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) resulted in the fabrication of electronic and optic devices which generate high amounts of heat in a small space. Microchannel heat sinks are a new type of heat exchangers which are capable to absorb such ultrahigh heat fluxes and ensure the proper function of such devices. In the present work, a microchannel heat sink made of ZrB₂ ceramic is investigated numerically to evaluate its feasibility to operate at such harsh conditions. The governing equations of the liquid domain (water) and solid domain (ZrB₂) were solved by the finite element method. The obtained results showed a considerable heat transfer rate from the heated surface. For example, at an ultra-high heat flux of 3.6 MW/m², the maximum temperature didn't exceed ~360 K. The high heat transfer area per volume of the applied microchannel, as well as the remarkable thermal conductivity of ZrB₂, are the main reasons for such a high heat transfer rate.