A comprehensive study on a heatsink subjected to an airflow utilizing shear stress transport model using SU2

Abstract

Essential parts of electronic cooling, heatsinks are made to disperse heat produced by electronics to avoid overheating and guarantee safe operation. Optimizing a heartsink’s design and increasing its efficiency requires an understanding of the complex thermal and flow properties surrounding it. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of velocity, temperature, and flow characteristics that have a substantial effect on the performance of heat sinks. The present study uses the Shear Stress Transport (SST) model to forecast fluid and thermal flow while providing a detailed examination of a heatsink exposed to airflow. Known for its ability to precisely predict heat transfer and flow separation in turbulent boundary layers, the Shear Stress Transport (SST) model is used to represent the relationships between pin-fin heatsink surfaces and airflow. This model is especially well-suited to mimic the turbulent areas produced by the fin structure of the heatsink and to capture the subtleties of both connected and separated flow zones, both of which are important for heat dissipation. The study reviews different characteristics of heatsink such as flow rate and temperature. Effect of different flow criteria: inlet velocity, temperature are studied. To give a thorough comparison across various configurations, key performance characteristics: heat transfer coefficients, and pressure drops, thermal resistance are assessed. The study starts with a grid sensitivity conducted to evaluate the precision and dependability of the findings. The results demonstrate that the SST and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models can represent localized thermal gradients and flow characteristics. By comparing different turbulence models, the paper demonstrates how dependent pressure drop and thermal performance estimates are on turbulence modelling assumptions. The open-source programs SU2 CFD and Paraview were used to conduct the study. This study provide a framework for choosing layouts that minimize pressure losses and optimize thermal efficiency.

Date	22 Jun 2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	François Morency (Supervisor)