Numerical simulation of convective heat transfer of nano-encapsulated phase change material slurries in micro-channels with sinusoidal cavities and rectangular ribs

In the present study, Thermo-hydraulic performance evaluation of nano-encapsulated phase change material slurries was undertaken in a micro-channel heat sink. The present research was motivated by the urgent need for the performance enhancement of micro-sized heat sinks for the electronic cooling application. A micro-channel with sinusoidal cavities and rectangular ribs was chosen as the flow domain in the present study and the steady laminar flow of nano-encapsulated phase change material slurries was investigated inside the micro-channel. A single-phase model was adopted for the simulation of slurry flow and heat transfer using the well-known finite volume method. In the current study, use was made of Nusselt number, friction and performance factors to assess the performance of nano-encapsulated phase change material slurries. Numerical simulations were performed for Reynolds numbers ranging from 200 to 1000 and nanoparticle concentrations ranging from 0 to 30%. It was shown that adding nano-encapsulated phase change material to a base fluid like water enhanced the thermal performance of the resulting slurry. A 6% to 48% increase in the Nusselt number was reported along the microchannel.