Liquid cooling of a microprocessor : experimentation and simulation of a sub-millimeter channel heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger dedicated to the cooling of a microprocessor has been designed and realized. This heat exchanger consists of a bottom wall in contact with the processor and a cover that has been dug to a depth of 200μm on one side and 1 mm on the other side. Thus, by turning the cover, the hydraulic diameter of the channel can be changed. This heat exchanger has been experimentally tested both from hydraulic and thermal performances point of view. At the same time, 3D numerical simulations were carried out using commercial software based on finite volume method (StarCCM+) on a virtual model of the experimental prototype. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results are in good agreement. In particular, the influence of the distributor and the collector on the distribution of fluid flow and heat fluxes is emphasized.