Topology optimization for heat sink devices typically relies on penalization methods to ensure the final designs are composed of strictly solid or open regions. We formulate a homogenization approach wherein the partial densities are physically represented as porous microstructures. This formulation allows design of thermal management components that have sub-grid features that would otherwise be computationally expensive to resolve using conventional topology optimization approaches. Furthermore, the approach leverages additive manufacturing techniques that can produce such partially porous regions within the build volume. In this work, topology optimization of liquid cooled microchannel heat sinks using a homogenization approach is presented. The partial densities are represented as arrays of pin fins with varying gap sizes to achieve sub-grid-resolution features. To this end, the pins fins are modeled as an effective porous medium. Height-averaged two-dimensional flow and non-equilibrium thermal models for porous media are developed to represent the pin fin array. Through multi-objective optimization, the hydraulic and thermal performance of the topologically optimized designs are investigated. The pin fin geometry is bounded based on the capabilities of state-of-the-art direct metal laser sintering machines. The resulting topologies have porous-membrane-like designs where the liquid is transported through low-hydraulic-resistance manifold pathways and then forced across tight arrays of pin fins having effective heat transfer. The performance of the topologically optimized designs is revealed to offer significant improvements relative to the benchmark, namely, a microchannel heat sink with straight channels optimized under the same multi-objective cost function.


Topology Optimization of Microchannel Heat Sinks Using a Homogenization Approach

Division / Sponsors: 
Electronic & Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD)

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/InterPACK/InterPACK2020/volume/84041

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