Multi-objective optimization of fin array heat sinks

A method is presented to determine the temperature field of an electronics cooling heat sink. The method is based on calculation of heat conduction in a solid numerically with the finite volume method and on solving fluid convection from analytical equations. The model is suitable for forced and natural convection heat sinks, and it uses solutions of a parallel plate channel for the friction factor and the convection Nusselt number. The validity of the method is verified by comparing its results to measured data and to CFD calculations. After verification, two practical multi-objective optimization examples are given. The first one, an industrial application, is a forced convection heat sink composed of nine heat generating components at the base plate. Then, natural convection optimization is performed on a reference array with two components. In both cases, mass is minimized, the other criterion being the maximum temperature for forced convection case, and the heat sink outer volume for natural convection case.