Numerical assessment of beryllium oxide as an alternative material for micro heat exchangers

Beryllium oxide (BeO) as an advanced ceramic possesses fascinating thermal properties making it a potential material for manufacturing cutting edge thermal microdevices such as micro heat exchangers (MHEs). The present work aims to evaluate the capability of BeO as a candidate for the fabrication of micro heat exchangers. These exchangers are a member of microelectromechanical systems that are able to absorb high heat fluxes at very small volumes. Owing to the high heat transfer surface of MHEs, these devices are proven to be used in the cooling of supercomputers, optic devices, and other high heat flux instruments. A series of numerical computations were performed to investigate the heat transfer in a MHE made of BeO. The obtained results were compared with the experimental data of an alumina-made heat exchanger. The utilization of BeO resulted in a more efficient heat transfer than that of alumina. The use of BeO led to ~100% heat transfer enhancement in comparison with alumina at a mass flow rate of 97.3 kg/h. This considerable improvement is a result of relatively higher thermal conductivity of BeO.