Heat sink optimization with response surface methodology for single phase immersion cooling

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges to technological advancements is the inability to efficiently dissipate waste heat from electronic components, which negatively effect performance and reliability. Immersion cooling systems provide an effective alternative for thermal management due to their high cooling capacity, uniform heat distribution and economic advantages. This study focuses on enhancing the thermal efficiency of single-phase immersion cooling systems by optimizing the geometric parameters of a heat sink, a passive cooling method. The innovation of this work lies in the systematic optimization of three key parameters: fin height, channel width and heat flux. These parameters were varied at three levels and an experimental design was developed using response surface methodology (RSM), which involved conducting 15 experiments. The optimal values for maximum thermal performance were determined to be 2.0 mm for channel width, 13.8889 mm for fin height and 45898.98 W/m² for heat flux. The study reveals that the most influential parameters on thermal enhancement are channel width, fin height and heat flux respectively. The results demonstrate significant potential for improving thermal management in electronic cooling systems. Based on the findings, a reliable correlation for the enhancement rate is proposed, offering a practical tool for designing more efficient and sustainable cooling systems. This innovative approach contributes to the development of more effective thermal management solutions, with potential applications in industries such as electronics, power systems, and data centers.