Thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of microencapsulated phase change materials slurry flow in wavy microchannels

Microencapsulated phase change material slurry (MPCS) is a novel cooling fluid with promising performance. This study numerically investigates heat transfer and flow characteristics of MPCS within wavy microchannels. MPCS is modeled as a homogeneous, Newtonian fluid. Five wavy geometries were examined across a Reynolds number range of 50 to 250 (laminar flow regime), varying in amplitude and wavelength. The model results show that with increase in Reynolds number and decrease in the amplitude and radius of curvature of wavy microchannels, the pressure drop and Nusselt number also increase. Furthermore, the results reveal that Dean vortices intensify with increasing wave amplitude and Reynolds number. Conversely, these vortices weaken as channel wavelength and radius of curvature increase. The formation of Dean vortices enhances fluid mixing and consequently improves the thermal performance of the slurry. The study concludes that in wavy microchannels employing MPCS, increasing the Reynolds number, increasing the channel amplitude with respect to wavelength, and decreasing the radius of curvature improves the overall performance. Also, the results reveal that in higher Reynolds numbers, the radius of curvature is the most effective parameter on the overall performance of wavy microchannels.