Micro Channels
Micro channels are typically tiny channels etched on the die surface that have very small hydraulic diameters ~ 100 mm or even less. This leads to both a very high heat transfer coefficient and pressure drops. Sometimes multiple channel layers are stacked on top of each other to reduce the total pressure drop by dividing the flow rate among more channels.
The challenge faced by the micro channel designers is to optimize the channel geometry to obtain a uniform temperature variation on the die surface. This geometry must provide the highest level of cooling for the allowed pressure drop.
Using Fluent products the designer can accurately model the conjugate heat transfer in the solid and liquid flowing inside the channel. Complex heat exchange can easily be modeled and performance of the device in operating conditions can quickly be evaluated.
As an illustration, the temperature variation within a two stacked micro channel system is calculated. The images show cold liquid (dark blue) coming either in two parallel streams or in two counter flowing streams and removing heat from a hot die surface (bottom).
