Abstract:
In this paper, the turbulent flow of a nanofluid in a channel is simulated in the presence of a pinfin
heatsink. Pin fins have different shapes, including hexagonal, circular, square, and triangular
that are considered in two different arrangements. Constant heat flux is applied to the heatsink
from its bottom due to the operation of an electronic chip. The nanoparticles suspended in water
are alumina, which are in different shapes such as blades, bricks, cylinders, and plates. Their
shape effect is investigated. The nanofluid enters the channel at a constant velocity in the range of
1–3 m/s and a constant volume percentage of 2%, and exits after cooling the pin-fin heatsink. The
standard k-ε turbulence model is used to model turbulent flow, and the SIMPLEC method is
employed to linearize the equations. The variables include fin type, fin arrangement, nanoparticle
shape, and nanofluid velocity. Their effect on the maximum and average heatsink temperature
and pressure drop (ΔP) is studied. The results show that increasing the velocity leads to a
reduction in heatsink temperature, and the use of brick-shaped nanoparticles and circular fin
results in the best cooling performance. Also, the use of circular fin and brick nanoparticles requires
less ΔP than other cases.
