Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer Performance Effects due to Deformation of Channels in Cold Plate After Diffusion Bonding

Abstract

In channels with small hydraulic diameters, even slight geometric deformations can significantly affect thermal performance. This study investigates the impact of deformation due to diffusion bonding on heat transfer characteristics in the internal channel shape of a liquid cooling cold plate with various pin-fin structures. Deformation amounts were measured and predicted using a generalized formula, and three-dimensional numerical simulations were conducted to analyze heat transfer performance. Results showed that heat transfer performance varied depending on the pin-fin structure, with straight fins decreasing and multi pins improving after deformation. The study suggests that thermal flow analysis can predict changes in heat transfer coefficient, facilitating the design of more efficient cold plates with optimized channel section shapes.