Numerical Thermo-Hydraulic Performance Analysis of Serpentine, Distributor, and Parallel Microchannel Heat Sink

Abstract

The increasing power density of modern electronic devices, compact energy systems, and advanced battery technologies has created significant challenges in thermal management under high heat flux conditions. Efficient cooling is essential to maintain system reliability and performance. Microchannel heat sinks have emerged as an effective solution due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and enhanced convective heat transfer capability. However, their thermal performance strongly depends on channel configuration and coolant flow distribution. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical investigation is conducted to compare the thermo-hydraulic performance of three microchannel configurations: serpentine, parallel, and distributor-based layouts. Steady-state laminar flow simulations are performed using ANSYS Fluent, with deionized water as the coolant and a uniform heat flux applied at the base of an aluminum heat sink. The performance of each configuration is evaluated in terms of temperature distribution, flow uniformity, thermal resistance, and pressure drop. The results show that the serpentine configuration improves temperature uniformity but leads to higher pressure drop. The parallel configuration reduces hydraulic losses but suffers from flow maldistribution. In contrast, the distributor configuration provides improved flow distribution and achieves a balanced thermohydraulic performance with moderate pressure drop and effective heat removal. This comparative study provides useful insights for optimizing microchannel heat sink designs for high heat flux electronic cooling applications.