TURBULENT HEAT-TRANSFER BETWEEN A SERIES OF PARALLEL PLATES WITH SURFACE-MOUNTED DISCRETE HEAT-SOURCES

Two-dimensional turbulent heat transfer between a series of parallel p lates with surface mounted discrete block heat sources was studied num erically. The computational domain was subjected to periodic condition s in the streamwise direction and repeated conditions in the cross-str eam direction (Double Cyclic). The second source term was included in the energy equation to facilitate the correct prediction of a periodic ally fully developed temperature field. These channels resemble coolin g passages in electronic equipment. The k-epsilon model was used for t urbulent closure and calculations were made for a wide range of indepe ndent parameters (Re, K(s)/K(f), s/w, d/w, and h/w). The governing equ ations were solved by using a finite volume technique. The numerical p rocedure and implementation of the k-epsilon model was validated by co mparing numerical predictions with published experimental data (Wirtz and Chen, 1991; Sparrow et al., 1982) for a single channel with severa l surface mounted blocks. Computations were performed for a wide range of Reynolds numbers (5 x 10(-4) x 10(5)) and geometric parameters and for Pr = 0.7. Substrate conduction was found to reduce the block temp erature by redistributing the heat flux and to reduce the overall ther mal resistance of the module. It was also found that the increase in t he Reynolds number decreased the thermal resistance. The study showed that the substrate conduction can be an important parameter in the des ign and analysis of cooling channels of electronic equipment. Finally, correlations for the friction factor (f) and average thermal resistan ce (R) in terms of independent parameters were developed.