Heat sink analysis using COMSOL Solver.

(A tutorial guide)

Kaleeswaran.B
M.Tech (CFD); Dept. of Aerospace. University of Petroleum Energy Studies Dehradun, India kaleesmach@gmail.com
AbstractIn this paper COMSOL multiphysics analysis of heat sink in an aluminum material is shown. Various steps involved in it are explained and diagrammatic version of it is also explained. Keywords: COMSOL, Multiphysics,

II.ABOUT THE MODEL. The cooling ability of the heat sink is determined by the power required to keep the base of the surface at a constant temperature. The model solves the concept of thermal balance.Actually,the thermal energy is transported through the conduction, convection in the heat aluminum sinks. The temperature field is made continuous throughout the model. The temperature is set at the inlet of the channel and at the base of the heat sink. The layer can also be sliced to view the model in layers.. In such case, you have to define a heat transfer coefficient for the adhesive layer and then set the temperature at the heater side of the layer. The transport of thermal energy at the outlet is dominated by convection. The flow conditions are solved by taking momentum and mass conservation equations. The flow field is obtained by solving one momentum balance for each space coordinate ( x, y, and z) and a mass balance. The inlet velocity is defined by a parabolic velocity profile for fully developed laminar flow. At the outlet, a constant pressure is combined the assumption that there are no viscous stresses in the direction perpendicular to the outlet. At all solid surfaces, the velocity is set to zero in all three spatial directions. The thermal conductivity of aluminum, the thermal conductivity of air, the heat capacity of air, and the air density are all temperature-dependent material properties. III.PROCESS/METHODS i. First step involves click on MODEL WIZARD. In model wizard click add physics tree> click on the Heat transfer>conjugate heat transfer>laminar flow (nitf).In the studies click preset studies>stationery>OK (finish). Second step click on the GLOBAL DEFINITIONS. The global definitions are located in the model builder window. GLOBAL DEFINITIONS > click on the SETTINGS in the parameter window and enter the following settings;

I. INTRODUCTION. In COMSOL multiphysics analysis involves three steps; 1. Sequencing the methods done are saved in a step wise tree method. Thus, during every part of the training the step can be viewed and can be changed if on wishes. 2. Selection of materials: in this the material one wishes to add, could be added and its properties could be studied. 3. Use of selections: to define the boundaries, initial conditions and other steps of the modeling process. The modeled system consists of an aluminum heat sink for cooling of components in electronic circuits mounted inside a channel of rectangular cross section. Such a set-up is used in order to measure the cooling capacity of heat sinks. Air enters the channel at the inlet and exits the channel at the outlet. The base surface of the heat sink is kept at a constant temperature through an external heat source. All other external faces are thermally insulated.

ii.

Figure1: Model of the heat sink with the boundaries.

S.no 1 2 3 4

Name L channel W channel UO H channel

Expression 7 3 5 1.5

Description Channel length Channel width Inlet velocity Channel height

Table: 1.Global settings parameters iii. Third step involves defining the GEOMETRY. Right click on the model I> GEOMETRY I and IMPORT. Go to settings window> browse and click import HEAT SINK model and click on the build selected button.(actually strictly speaking U can use this import facility only when U install the COMSOL setup. The import model is already a finished CAD model stored in the COMsol setup).

Figure:3.Model selected with inner domain aluminum V. In the Model Builder window, right-click Work Plane and choose Extrude. Right-click Extrude and choose Go to Default 3D View. Go to the Settings window for Extrude. Locate the Distances from Work Plane section. In the table, enter the following settings: Enter the Distance as H channel Click the Build Selected button. VI. MATERIALS: In the Model Builder window, right-click Model 1>Materials and choose Open Material Browser. Go to the Material Browser window, locate the Materials section. In the Materials tree, select Built-In>Air. Right-click and choose Add Material to Model from the menu. Air By default, the first material you add applies to all domains. Typically, you can leave this setting and add other materials that override the default material where applicable. In this example, specify aluminum for Domain 2.Use Aluminum AH 3003-H18. VII.CONJUGATE HEAT TRANSFER: In the Model Builder window, right-click Model 1>Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Fluid. Select Domain 1 only.

Figure: 2.Model selected with domain as air. IV. Now, right click on the Geometry I and then click WORKPLANE I. Now, under the work plane I > click on the geometry and then click RECTANGLE. Now, go to settings window for rectangle.

Width of the rectangle = L channel. Height of the rectangle = W channel. Position section of the rectangle along X axis = 4.5e-02. Position section of the rectangle in Y axis = W channel/2.

Figure :4.Conjugate heat model.

1. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Laminar Flow>Inlet. 2. Select Boundary 115 only. Go to the Settings window for Inlet. Locate the Boundary Condition section. From the Boundary condition list, select laminar inflow.

Figure :6.Fine tetrahedral mesh 3. Go to the Settings window for Size. Locate the Geometric Scope section. From the Geometric entity level list, select Domain. Figure: 5.Inlet condition chosen model 3. In the U (average velocity) field edit field, type U0. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Laminar Flow>Outlet. 4. Select Boundary 1 only. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Heat Transfer>Temperature. 5. Select Boundary 115 only. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Heat Transfer>Temperature. 6. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Heat Transfer>Temperature. 7. Select Boundary 8 only. Go to the Settings window for Temperature. Locate the Temperature section. In the T0 edit field, type 393.15 K. 8. In the Model Builder window, right-click Conjugate Heat Transfer and choose Heat Transfer>Outflow. Select Boundary 1 only. VII.MESH: 1. In the Model Builder window, right-click Model 1>Mesh and choose Free Tetrahedral. In the Model Builder window, right-click Study and choose Compute. 2. Create a selection to use for defining a data set in the Results branch. In the Model Builder window, right-click Mesh 1>Free Tetrahedral 1 and choose Size. 4. Select Domains 1 only. 5 Locate the Element Size section. From the Predefined list, select Finer. 6 Click the Build All button.

IX. Study Definitions: 1. In the Model Builder window, right-click Model 1>Definitions and choose Selection. 2. Go to the Settings window for Selection. Locate the Geometric Scope section. From the Geometric entity level list, select Boundary. 3. Right-click Selection 1 and choose Select Box.Select Boundaries 3 and 5114 only. X.RESULTS: 1. Data Sets, in the Model Builder window, right-click Results>Data Sets>Solution and choose Add Selection. 2. Go to the Settings window for Selection. Locate the Geometric Scope section. From the Geometric entity level list, select Boundary. 3. From the Selection list, select walls. 3D Plot Group .In the Model Builder window, click Surface .Go to the Settings window for Surface. Locate the Coloring and Style section. From the Color table list, select Thermal. 4. In the Model Builder window, right-click 3D Plot Group 1 and choose Arrow Volume. Go to the Settings window for Arrow Volume. In the upper-right corner of the Expression section, click Replace Expression.

5. From the menu, choose Conjugate Heat Transfer (Laminar Flow)>Velocity field (u, v, w). Locate the Arrow Positioning section. Find the x grid points subsection. In the Points edit field, type 40. 6. Find the y grid points subsection. In the Points edit field, type 20.

Figure 9.Sliced model of the temperature plot.

Figure: 7.Heated vector-temp plots over the heat sink 7. In the Coordinates edit field, type 5e-3. Right-click Arrow Volume 1 and choose Color Expression. Go to the Settings window for Color Expression. In the upper-right corner of the Expression section, click Replace Expression. From the menu, choose Conjugate Heat Transfer (Laminar Flow)>Velocity magnitude. Click the Plot button. This will produce th required vector plots and the much required contour plots of the heat sink model.

Figure 10.Zoomed view of the sliced model.

Figure: 8.Zoomed view of the temperature vector plots

Figure 11.Top view of the heat sink model.

XI.CONCLUSION: Figure 7 shows the temperature vector plot of velocity over the model. A region of high temperature can be seen near to the model. After crossing the model the temperature of the high velocity air reduces. A zoomed view of the vector plot is also shown, in that a region of circulation occurs near to the model. This causes the pressure to reduce and thus reducing the temperature increment also. Figure 9, 10 Sliced view models shows that the temperature plots near and far from the models. It shows that there occurs a region of high temperature before the model and near to the model. After the model the heating effect of the air reduces much.Thus,the model really acts as a heat sink