Heat and Momentum Transport in a Microchannel Heat Sink with Spiraling Radial Inflow

This research presents a model for analysis of single phase heat and momentum transport in a novel spiraling radial inflow heat sink. The design provides uniform heat removal at high heat flux rates making this design attractive for electronics cooling applications or for heat removal from concentrating solar photovoltaic systems. The design consists of swirling flow in a microchannel between two concentric disk surfaces with flow accelerating inwards and then exiting at the center. The geometry of the flow path can further be varied to increase heat transfer and allow for greater surface temperature control. The governing flow and energy equations are solved using the integral method to achieve solutions for both the constant wall heat flux and constant wall temperature conditions. The model is used to explore the parametric effects of inlet flow and passage geometry, including constant and varying channel sizes. Case studies are examined for liquid water as the working fluid rejecting heat fluxes up to 100 W/cm² while keeping surfaces below 80° C.