An Experimental Study of Pin Fin Heat Sinks and Determination of End Wall Heat Transfer

An experimental study of a pin fin heat sink was carried out in support of the development of heat sink optimization methods requiring more detailed measurements be made. Measurements of heat flux and temperature are used to separately determine heat transfer coefficients for the pins and the base region between the pins. Three pitch to diameter ratios (distance from pin center to pin center measured diagonally) were studied: P/d = 3/1, 9/4, 3/2. Heat generation was accomplished using cartridge heaters inserted into a copper block. The high thermal conductivity of the copper ensured that the surface beneath the heat sink would be at a constant temperature. The cooling fluid was air and the experiments were conducted with a Reynolds numbers based on a porous media type hydraulic diameter ranging from 500 to 25000. The channel had a shroud that touches the fin tips, eliminating any flow bypass. The pin surface heat transfer coefficients match the values reported by Kays and London and by Zukauskas. The base region heat transfer coefficients were, surprisngly, larger than the pin values.