Modifications and Extensions to the Annular Flow Model

Boiling heat transfer to fluid flow in microchannel heat sinks is being looked upon as a promising solution to the problem of cooling microprocessors with large power densities. In the present work, an annular flow model [1] is implemented to investigate the boiling heat transfer and two-phase flow characteristics in microchannel heat sinks. A modification in the model for the deposition mass transfer coefficient is proposed to better compare the existing experimental data [2]. The deposition mass transfer coefficient affects the distribution of liquid in the form of entrained droplets and the liquid film. The liquid film thickness is the most significant parameter in the determination of the heat transfer coefficient. The suggested change ensures consistent results for the behavior of the entrained fraction. We further report pressure drop results obtained using the modified annular flow model and a comparison with existing experimental data. Finally, we present results predicted by the annular flow model for non-uniform heating of a microchannel, in an effort to simulate hot spots on a microprocessor chip. A few preliminary results obtained from the modified model to simulate boiling and two-phase flow in a parallel microchannel device with non-uniform heating are presented.