Liquid-Cooled Heat Sink
Cooling system design, developed for McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC)
About Project
Designed a liquid-cooled heat sink for aerospace applications, specifically for cooling high-power inverters. The system utilizes a multi-port configuration with three inlets and three outlets to ensure effective coolant distribution and thermal management. Integrated pin-fin heat sink structures were incorporated to enhance heat transfer and improve flow uniformity across high heat flux regions.
Objectives: Achieve efficient thermal management; ensure uniform coolant distribution; develop a compact and lightweight design.
Challenges: Achieving uniform flow distribution; prevent excessive pressure losses; prevent thermal hotspots.
Cold Plate Overview
Challange 1: Achieving uniform flow distribution
Solution: a pin-fin heat sink with staggered, equally spaced fins is designed to promote even coolant distribution and prevent thermal hotspots.
Challange 2: Prevent excessive pressure losses
Solution: A Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization approach is employed to determine the optimal design of the pin-fin heat sink by systematically varying key geometric parameters, including pin-fin height, diameter, and spacing.
Challange 3: Preventing thermal hotspots
Solution: By achieving uniform flow distribution across the channel, thermal hotspots are eliminated, ensuring the device operates within its safe junction temperature limits.
Technical Drawings
