Comparison of air-cooled and spray-cooled heat transfer performance with phase change material coupled with microgroove flat plate heat pipe

Abstract

This study investigates the thermal management performance of phase change material (PCM) coupled with a microgroove flat plate heat pipe under air cooling and spray cooling conditions. Different ratios of paraffin-lauric acid hybrid PCMs are prepared, and the thermophysical properties of the materials are optimal when the ratio of paraffin-lauric acid is 4:6. Composite PCMs are prepared by adding alumina nanoparticles, and the thermal conductivity is increased by 3.66 times when alumina particles with a mass fraction of 0.6 % are added. Compared to air cooling, the spray cooling system demonstrate up to a 5.7% reduction in peak chip temperature. In the experimental range the spray cooling system dissipates heat better for the 60 W heating power chip, while the air cooling system is more suitable for the 30 W heating power chip. In the air cooling system, the heat stored in the PCM accounts for up to 39.8 % of the heating power. The maximum amount of heat stored in the PCM in the spray cooling system is 37.8 % of the heating power. The heat storage capacity of the PCM in the spray cooling system is slightly lower than that of the air cooling system, but it still has a considerable heat storage capacity. This research can provide ideas for solving the heat dissipation problem of high-density server chips in data centers.