Table of contents

About EUROTHERM

The aim of the EUROTHERM Committee (www.eurothermcommittee.eu) is to promote and foster European cooperation in Thermal Sciences and Heat Transfer by gathering together scientists and engineers working in specialized areas. The Committee consists of members representing and appointed by national bodies in the EU countries.

The current President of EUROTHERM is Professor Anton van Steenhoven from the University of Eindhoven (The Netherlands).

The Committee organizes and coordinates European scientific events such as the EUROTHERM Seminars (about 4 per year) and the European Thermal Sciences Conference (every 4 years).

About EUROTHERM Seminar 102(www.eurothermseminar102.com)

This seminar, part of the long-running series of European seminars on the thermal sciences, took place in June 2014 at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland.

The seminar addressed the topic of 'Thermal Management of Electronic Systems', a critical contemporary application area which represents a vibrant challenge for practitioners of the thermal sciences.

We convey special thanks to the reviewers who have evaluated these papers. We also thank the scientific committee, consisting of internationally recognized experts. Their role has been to manage the evaluation of abstracts and the papers selection process as co-coordinators for specific topics.

This seminar was hosted by the Stokes Institute at the University of Limerick. It could not have been organized without the efficient help of our administrators and technicians for IT support.

This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes 27 articles presented at the seminar.

Dr. Jeff Punch, Chair

Stokes Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

Email: jeff.punch@ul.ie

Prof. Edmond Walsh, Co-Chair

Associate Professor, Osney Laboratories, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, UK

Email: edmond.walsh@bnc.ox.ac.uk

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Current electrical component technology makes it impossible for entire systems to operate at the extreme temperatures required for many applications. Therefore, thermal zoning is a straightforward method to maximize the temperature capability of complex systems. The technique involves simple thermal analyses to determine variable temperature limits, design requirements, and cooling techniques for an electrical system. This paper discusses how the thermal zoning technique is used during program development in order to maximize the demonstration temperature of a 50 kW bidirectional converter.

In electronic systems the presence of bluff bodies, sharp corners and bends are the cause of flow separation and large recirculation bubbles. Since the recirculation vortices develop they encapsulate the heat from an electronic component becoming one of the major contributors of malfunction. Going in depth in this, some numerical simulations of conjugate heat transfer for a heat wall-mounted cube have been performed using the commercial CFD code scSTREAM V11 by Software Cradle Co, Ltd. It is well known that the reliability of CFD analysis depends heavily on the turbulent model employed together with the wall functions implemented. The three low- Reynolds k – turbulent models developed by Abe-Nagano-Kondoh have been validated against experimental data consisting mainly of velocity profiles and surface temperature distributions provided in literature. The performed validation shows a satisfactory agreement between the measured and simulated data. The turbulent model chosen is then used for the CFD simulation of a complex electronic system.

The results of a numerical investigation of heat and fluid flow in a liquid cold plate for FM radio power amplifiers are presented. The objective is to verify, by using a commercial CFD code, the performance of a blister cold plate designed to dissipate the heat generated by a known set of electronic components, in order to limit their maximum temperature during operations. Since in a blister cold-plate mainly the cover is thermally active, the cold-plate is simplified and lightened by using plastics in the base plate. A 3-D conjugate CFD approach, where thermal and fluid flow analyses are combined, is followed. Several design options for the cold plate are examined and the validity of the full 3-D CFD approach in the dimensioning of the cooling systems of electronic equipment is demonstrated.

This paper begins by describing some commonly used photonic packages. The requirements for optical connections to these packages are then discussed. Photonic packages are different to most electronic packages in that the thermal management requirements usually include maintaining the Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) at a fixed, sometimes below ambient, operating temperature rather than with keeping the temperature of a package below an upper limit as with most electronic packages. This means that an active Thermoelectric Module (TEM) based cooling system is required. A thermistor is fitted within the package to provide thermal feedback to the TEM controller. This paper uses finite element modelling to investigate whether there is a good match between the target temperature for the PIC and the temperature registered by the thermistor. The results of the modelling show that the model results are quite stable even with large variations in convection and thermistor thermal properties. The thermistor location influences the temperature measured from the package and its thermal response time, but follows the device temperature well enough to provide the TEM controller with adequate feedback to maintain the PIC at a steady temperature in steady state running conditions.

This work aims to characterize the performance of a commercially available solid heat sink (SHS) and a vapour chamber heat sink (VCHS) with a small localized heat source. The heat sinks were tested under forced convection conditions in a dedicated wind tunnel. Heat transfer and temperature measurements facilitated the estimation of the source-to-sink thermal resistance whilst thermal imaging on the air side of the heat sink was used to gauge the level of heat spreading. The results indicate that the VCHS was capable of spreading the heat from the localized source over a greater surface area of the heat sink compared with the SHS. However, the improved spreading resistance of the VCHS was offset by the additional contact resistance and/or the thermal resistance of the internal wick structure resulting in a source-to-sink thermal resistance and heater temperature which was commensurate with the SHS. As a result there was no thermal benefit of the VCHS.

Reliability of power electronic modules is a key characteristic of existing and innovative modules. An increasing quantity of these modules is used in a large range of applications and addresses from annex up to vital functions, especially with the more electronic aircraft and recent developments in transport applications. To propose a solution to this lifetime issue, Microsemi and EHP have designed, manufactured and tested an improved flat heat pipe to fulfil aeronautic requirements. The frame of this development is based on the existing SP3 power module of Microsemi and significant decrease of thermal resistance is demonstrated by thermal tests.

This paper details the early development steps of a two-phase thermosyphon thermal management solution for power amplifiers (PA) in the telecommunication industry. These components, attached to a vertical PCB within an enclosure between the RF filter and a natural or forced convection heat sink, dissipate a large amount of heat with a high heat flux density. Currently cooled by direct contact to a shared heat sink, they tend to spread heat towards other components of their board, affecting their reliability. A thermosyphon thus appear as an ideal thermal management solution to transport the heat from the power amplifiers in order to dissipate it to a remote and dedicated natural convection heat sink. In the present study, the performance and the heat spreading of a forced convection unit is measured. A thermosyphon solution is then designed with a flat vertical evaporator and a radial natural convection heat sink and condenser. The performance of the thermosyphon thermal management solution is measured and compared to the initial solution. The limits and improvement needs of the thermosyphon solution are then discussed.

Micropumps can play a significant role in thermal management applications, as a component of microfluidic cooling systems. For next-generation high density optical communication systems, in particular, heat flux levels are sufficiently high to require a microfluidic circuit for cooling. Valveless piezoelectrically-actuated micropumps are a particularly promising technology to be deployed for this application. These pumps exploit the asymmetric flow behaviour of microdiffusers to achieve net flow. They feature no rotating or contacting parts, which make them intrinsically reliable in comparison to micropumps with active valves. In this paper, two novel microdiffuser elements are reported and characterized. The micropumps were fabricated using a 3D Printer. Each single diffuser had a length of 1800 pm and a depth of 400 pm. An experimental characterization was conducted in which the flow rate and differential pressure were measured as a function of operating frequency. In comparison with standard diffuser, both elements showed an increase in differential pressure in the range of 40 – 280 %, but only one of the elements exhibited an improved flow rate, of about 85 %.

The subject of this paper is the dimensional characterization of embedded microchannel arrays created using contemporary 3D-printing fabrication techniques. Conventional microchannel arrays, fabricated using deep reactive ion etching techniques (DRIE) and wet-etching (KOH), are used as a benchmark for comparison. Rectangular and trapezoidal cross-sectional shapes were investigated. The channel arrays were 3D-printed in vertical and horizontal directions, to examine the influence of print orientation on channel characteristics. The 3D-printed channels were benchmarked against Silicon channels in terms of the following dimensional characteristics: cross-sectional area (CSA), perimeter, and surface profiles. The 3D-printed microchannel arrays demonstrated variances in CSA of 6.6-20% with the vertical printing approach yielding greater dimensional conformity than the horizontal approach. The measured CSA and perimeter of the vertical channels were smaller than the nominal dimensions, while the horizontal channels were larger in both CSA and perimeter due to additional side-wall roughness present throughout the channel length. This side-wall roughness caused significant shape distortion. Surface profile measurements revealed that the base wall roughness was approximately the resolution of current 3D-printers. A spatial periodicity was found along the channel length which appeared at different frequencies for each channel array. This paper concludes that vertical 3D-printing is superior to the horizontal printing approach, in terms of both dimensional fidelity and shape conformity and can be applied in microfluidic device applications.

Next generation high-performance electronics will have large heat fluxes (>10² W/cm²) and an alternative approach to traditional air cooling is required. An attractive solution is micro-channel cooling and micro-valves will be required for refined flow control in the supporting micro-fluidic systems. A NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) micro-valve design was hydrodynamically characterized in this work to obtain the valve loss coefficient (K) from pressure measurements. The hydrodynamic characterization was important as in the flow regime of the micro-fluidic system K is sensitive to Reynolds number (Re) and geometry. Static replicas of the SMA valve geometry were studied for low Reynolds numbers (110 – 220) in a 1x1 mm CSA miniature channel. The loss coefficients were found to be sensitive to flow rate and decreased rapidly with an increase in Re. The SMA valve was compared to a similar gate micro-valve and loss across both valves was of the same order of magnitude. The valve loss coefficients obtained in this work are important parameters in the modeling and design of micro-fluidic cooling systems.

The existing methods of heat removal from compact electronic devises are known to be deficient as the evolving technology demands more power density and accordingly better cooling techniques. Impinging jets can be used as a satisfactory method for thermal management of electronic devices with limited space and volume. Pulsating flows can produce an additional enhancement in heat transfer rate compared to steady flows. This article is part of a comprehensive experimental and numerical study performed on pulsating jet cooling technology. The experimental approach explores heat transfer performance of a pulsating air jet impinging onto a flat surface for nozzle-to-surface distances 1 ≤ H/D ≤ 6, Reynolds numbers 1,300 ≤ Re ≤ 2,800 pulsation frequency 2Hz ≤ f ≤ 65Hz, and Strouhal number 0.0012 ≤ Sr = fD/U_m ≤ 0.084. The time-resolved velocity at the nozzle exit is measured to quantify the turbulence intensity profile. The numerical methodology is firstly validated using the experimental local Nusselt number distribution for the steady jet with the same geometry and boundary conditions. For a time-averaged Reynolds number of 6,000, the heat transfer enhancement using the pulsating jet for 9Hz ≤ f ≤ 55Hz and 0.017 ≤ Sr ≤ 0.102 and 1 ≤ H/D ≤ 6 are calculated. For the same range of Sr number, the numerical and experimental methods show consistent results.

Heat transfer to three configurations of ducted jet and un-ducted semiconfined jets is investigated experimentally. The influence of the jet operating parameters, stroke length (L₀/D) and Reynolds (Re) number on the heat transferred to the jet is of particular interest. Heat transfer distributions to the jet are reported at H/D = 1 for a range of experimental parameters Re (1000 to 4000) and L₀/D (5 to 20). Secondary and tertiary peaks are discernable in the heat transfer distributions across the range of parameters tested. It is shown that for a fixed Re varying the L₀/D has little effect on the magnitude of the stagnation region heat transfer but does effect the position and magnitude of the secondary and tertiary peaks in the heat transfer distribution. It is also shown that for a fixed L₀/D increasing the Re has a significant effect on the magnitude of the stagnation region heat transfer but has little impact on the position of the secondary and tertiary peaks in the heat transfer distributions. Ducting is added to the configuration to improve heat transfer by drawing cold air from a remote location into the jet flow. Ducting is shown to increase stagnation region and area averaged heat transfer across the range of jet parameters tested when compared with an un-ducted jets of equal confinement. Increasing the stroke length from L₀/D = 5 to 20 for a Reynolds number of 2000 reduces the enhancement in stagnation region heat transfer provided by the ducting from 35% to 10%; the area averaged heat transfer provided by the ducting also changes from a 42% to a 21% enhancement. This is shown to be partly due to relative magnitude of the peaks in heat transfer outwith the stagnation region; at low stroke lengths, the difference in the magnitude of these peaks is large and reduces with increasing L₀/D. It is also shown that as L₀/D is increased the stagnation region heat transfer to the un-ducted jets increases while for the ducted jets stagnation region heat transfer decreases with increasing L₀/D. Increasing Reynolds number from 1000 to 4000 for a stroke length from L₀/D = 10 increases the increase in stagnation region heat transfer provided by the ducting from 10 % to over 50 % and increases the increase in area averaged heat transfer provided by the ducting from 15 % to 45 %. This is shown to be primarily due to the magnitude of the stagnation region heat transfer. While the heat transfer increases with Re for all configurations of jet the increase is much more significant for the ducted jets.

Piezoelectric fans have been studied extensively and are seen as a promising technology for thermal management due to their ability to provide quiet, reliable cooling with low power consumption. The fluid mechanics of an unconfined piezoelectric fan are complex which is why the majority of the literature to date confines the fan in an attempt to simplify the flow field. This paper investigates the fluid mechanics of an unconfined fan operating in its first vibration frequency mode. The piezoelectric fan used in this study measures 12.7mm × 70mm and resonates at 92.5Hz in air. A custom built experimental facility was developed to capture the fan's flow field using phase locked Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The phase locked PIV results are presented in terms of vorticity and show the formation of a horse shoe vortex. A three dimensional A2 criterion constructed from interpolated PIV measurements was used to identify the vortex core in the vicinity of the fan. This analysis was used to clearly identify the formation of a horse shoe vortex that turns into a hairpin vortex before it breaks up due to a combination of vortex shedding and flow along the fan blade. The results presented in this paper contribute to both the fluid dynamics and heat transfer literature concerning first mode fan oscillation.

Direct impinging synthetic jets are a proven method for heat transfer enhancement, and have been subject to extensive research. However, despite the vast amount of research into direct synthetic jet impingement, there has been little research investigating the effects of a synthetic jet emanating from a heated surface, this forms the basis of the current research investigation. Both single and multiple orifices are integrated into a planar heat sink forming a synthetic jet, thus allowing the heat transfer enhancement and flow structures to be assessed. The heat transfer analysis highlighted that the multiple orifice synthetic jet resulted in the greatest heat transfer enhancements. The flow structures responsible for these enhancements were identified using a combination of flow visualisation, thermal imaging and thermal boundary layer analysis. The flow structure analysis identified that the synthetic jets decreased the thermal boundary layer thickness resulting in a more effective convective heat transfer process. Flow visualisation revealed entrainment of local air adjacent to the heated surface; this occurred from vortex roll-up at the surface of the heat sink and from the highly sheared jet flow. Furthermore, a secondary entrainment was identified which created a surface impingement effect. It is proposed that all three flow features enhance the heat transfer characteristics of the system.

The increase in both power and packing densities in power electronic devices has led to an increase in the market demand for effective heat-dissipating materials, with high thermal conductivity and thermal- expansion coefficient compatible with chip materials still ensuring the reliability of the power modules. In this context, metal matrix composites: carbon fibers and diamond-reinforced copper and aluminum matrix composites among them are considered very promising as a next generation of thermal-management materials in power electronic packages. These composites exhibit enhanced thermal properties compared to pure copper combined with lower density. This article presents the fabrication techniques of copper/carbon fibers and copper/diamond and aluminum/carbon fibers composite films by powder metallurgy and hot pressing. The thermal analyses clearly indicate that interfacial treatments are required in these composites to achieve high thermomechanical properties. Interfaces (through novel chemical and processing methods), when selected carefully and processed properly will form the right chemical/mechanical link between metal and carbon, enhancing all the desired thermal properties while minimizing the deleterious effect.

A metal micro-textured thermal interface material (MMT-TIM) has been developed to address the shortcomings of conventional TIMs for Remote Radio Heat (RRH) applications. The performance of the MMT-TIM was characterized in-situ by monitoring the temperatures of the dominant heat generating devices in an RRH Power Amplifier for a fixed input power. Measurements show that the use of the MMT-TIM results in significantly lower devices temperatures than achieved with the conventionally used graphite pads with a maximum temperature drop of 14.9 °C observed. The effect of power cycling on the long term performance trends is also examined.

The aim of this work is to improve heat transfer performances of flush mounted heat sinks used in electronic cooling. To do this we patterned 1.23 cm² heat sinks surfaces by microstructured roughnesses built by laser etching manufacturing technique, and experimentally measured the convective heat transfer enhancements due to different patterns. Each roughness differs from the others with regards to the number and the size of the micro-fins (e.g. the micro- fin length ranges from 200 to 1100 μm). Experimental tests were carried out in forced air cooling regime. In particular fully turbulent flows (heating edge based Reynolds number ranging from 3000 to 17000) were explored. Convective heat transfer coefficient of the best micro-structured heat sink is found to be roughly two times compared to the smooth heat sinks one. In addition, surface area roughly doubles with regard to smooth heat sinks, due to the presence of micro-fins. Consequently, patterned heat sinks thermal transmittance [W/K] is found to be roughly four times the smooth heat sinks one. We hope this work may open the way for huge boost in the technology of electronic cooling by innovative manufacturing techniques.

Preliminary results from a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) investigation of the separation-reattachment flow over a flat plate are presented. The experiments address the effects of two key variables: flow approach angle (manipulated indirectly with a trailing edge flap) and free-stream turbulence level (introduced upstream with grids). The plate thickness Reynolds number is fixed throughout and lies within the transitional regime.

In the first test series (I), it is shown that increasing the turbulence level and reducing the approach angle cause the mean leading-edge separation bubble to shrink. The effect of free- stream turbulence, in particular, diminishes progressively as its level is raised. In the second series (II), downstream development of the reattached boundary layer is found to unfold rapidly at first but plateau after approximately three bubble-lengths. Momentum thickness Reynolds and Stanton numbers develop independently of the free-stream turbulence thereafter, and are well described by shifted turbulent correlations. Heat transfer potential ultimately depends upon the balance between frictional loss, bubble size and downstream mixing.

Environmental standards which govern outdoor wireless equipment can stipulate stringent conditions: high solar loads (up to 1 kW/m²), ambient temperatures as high as 55°C and negligible wind speeds (0 m/s). These challenges result in restrictions on power dissipation within a given envelope, due to the limited heat transfer rates achievable with passive cooling. This paper addresses an outdoor wireless device which features two segregated heat sink structures arranged vertically within a shielded chimney structure: a primary sink to cool temperature-sensitive components; and a secondary sink for high power devices. Enhanced convective cooling of the primary sink is achieved due to the increased mass flow within the chimney generated by the secondary sink. An unshielded heat sink was examined numerically, theoretically and experimentally, to verify the applicability of the methods employed. Nusselt numbers were compared for three cases: an unshielded heat sink; a sink located at the inlet of a shield; and a primary heat sink in a segregated structure. The heat sink, when placed at the inlet of a shield three times the length of the sink, augmented the Nusselt number by an average of 64% compared to the unshielded case. The Nusselt number of the primary was found to increase proportionally with the temperature of the secondary sink, and the optimum vertical spacing between the primary and secondary sinks was found to be close to zero, provided that conductive transfer between the sinks was suppressed.

Finding a good solution for thermal management problems is every day more complex. due to the power density and the required performances. When a solution suitable for high volumes is needed. die-casting and extrusion are the most convenient technologies. However designers have to face the well-known limitations for those processes. High Density Die Casting (HDDC) is a process under advanced development. in order to overcome the extrusion and traditional die casting limits by working with alloys having much better thermal performances than the traditional die-casting process. while keeping the advantages of a flexible 3D design and a low cost for high volumes. HDDC offers the opportunity to design combining different materials (aluminium and copper. aluminium and stainless steel) obtaining a structure with zero porosity and overcoming some of die-casting limits. as shown in this paper. A dedicated process involving embedded heat pipes is currently under development in order to offer the possibility to dramatically improve the heat spreading.

Significant challenges exist in the thermal control of Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) for use in optical communications. Increasing component density coupled with greater functionality is leading to higher device-level heat fluxes, stretching the capabilities of conventional cooling methods using thermoelectric modules (TEMs). A tailored thermal control solution incorporating micro thermoelectric modules (μTEMs) to individually address hotspots within PICs could provide an energy efficient alternative to existing control methods. Performance characterisation is required to establish the suitability of commercially-available μTEMs for the operating conditions in current and next generation PICs. The objective of this paper is to outline a novel method for the characterisation of thermoelectric modules (TEMs), which utilises infra-red (IR) heat transfer and temperature measurement to obviate the need for mechanical stress on the upper surface of low compression tolerance (~0.5N) μTEMs. The method is benchmarked using a commercially-available macro scale TEM, comparing experimental data to the manufacturer's performance data sheet.

This paper presents an investigation on the heat transfer characteristics associated with liquid-gas Taylor flows in mini channels incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCM). Taylor flows have been shown to result in heat transfer enhancements due to the fluid recirculation experienced within liquid slugs which is attributable to the alternating liquid slug and gas bubble flow structure. Microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCM) also offer significant potential with increased thermal capacity due to the latent heat required to cause phase change. The primary aim of this work was to examine the overall heat transfer potential associated with combining these two novel liquid cooling technologies. By investigating the local heat transfer characteristics, the augmentation/degradation over single phase liquid cooling was quantified while examining the effects of dimensionless variables, including Reynolds number, liquid slug length and gas void fraction. An experimental test facility was developed which had a heated test section and allowed MPCM-air Taylor flows to be subjected to a constant heat flux boundary condition. Infrared thermography was used to record high resolution experimental wall temperature measurements and determine local heat transfer coefficients from the thermal entrance point. 30.2% mass particle concentration of the MPCM suspension fluid was examined as it provided the maximum latent heat for absorption. Results demonstrate a significant reduction in experimental wall temperatures associated with MPCM-air Taylor flows when compared with the Graetz solution for conventional single phase coolants. Total enhancement in the thermally developed region is observed to be a combination of the individual contributions due to recirculation within the liquid slugs and also absorption of latent heat. Overall, the study highlights the potential heat transfer enhancements that are attainable within heat exchange devices employing MPCM Taylor flows.

Development of NEPCM (Nanoparticle Encapsulated Phase Change Material) nanofluids using low melting temperature metals is a very pertinent area of research in the context of effective thermal management solutions. Compared to a pure fluid, these nanofluids have a higher heat capacity during the phase change and it is possible to improve the heat transfer, as a result of this phase change. To appreciate the merits, in terms of energy, an energy Performance Evaluation Criteria (PEC) has been defined as the ratio of heat transfer rate at fixed pumping power. The numerical results obtained show an improvement around 20% of this energetic criterion at low ΔT compared to the base fluid. A status of the development of these fluids in our laboratory is given in this paper. From an experimental point of view, a specific test loop has been developed in order to test thermo hydraulic performance in a controlled manner in laminar and turbulent conditions at imposed heat flux with a small volume of fluid (350 ml). The test loop was validated with pure water and the choice of materials used has been defined but not yet tested.

Recent studies into droplet impingement heat transfer have demonstrated that it has great potential for providing high heat flux cooling in areas such as thermal management of electronics. The wettability of the surface affects the flow dynamics of the impingement process and the resulting heat transfer. In this study, the effect of surface wettability on carbon nanotube water-based nanofluid droplet impingement heat transfer has been studied and compared with water. Superhydrophobic or hydrophilic coatings are applied on one face of monocrystalline silicon wafers (the drop impinges on this face) while the other face is painted matt black to permit infrared thermography. The silicon wafer is preheated to 40 °C and a single droplet impinges normally on the top facing coated surface of the monocrystalline silicon wafer. The inverse heat conduction problem has been solved using the measured black face temperature. For both the water and nanofluid droplets, the convective heat transfer coefficient reduces with the decrease in surface wettability. It is found that the nanofluid produce a significantly higher convective heat transfer coefficient during droplet impingement than water, with the enhancement increasing with increasing wettability.

This paper experimentally examines the bulk aerodynamic performance of a vibrating fan operating in the first mode of vibration. The influence of operating condition on the local velocity field has also been investigated to understand the flow distribution at the exit region and determine the stalling condition for vibrating fans. Fan motion has been generated and controlled using a piezoelectric ceramic attached to a stainless steel cantilever. The frequency and amplitude at resonance were 109.4 Hz and 12.5 mm, respectively. A test facility has been developed to measure the pressure-flow characteristics of the vibrating fan and simultaneously conduct local velocity field measurements using particle image velocimetry. The results demonstrate the impact of system characteristics on the local velocity field. High momentum regions generated due to the oscillating motion exist with a component direction that is tangent to the blade at maximum displacement. These high velocity zones are significantly affected by increasing impedance while flow reversal is a dominant feature at maximum pressure rise. The findings outlined provide useful information for design of thermal management solutions that may incorporate this air cooling approach.

A frictionless air mover concept is introduced in this paper. As opposed to a piezoelectric driven fan, the air mover is based on a flexible blade whose vibration is driven by means of a magnetic field. The blade is based on a polymer material. The paper presents the results of a feasibility analysis and an on-going comprehensive design study. The performance of the prototype amounted to 65% of a comparable piezoelectric fan. To enhance the performance, two different blade materials were investigated, as well as the influence of the coil shape and value. A further goal is to reduce the size and to investigate the influence of a casing. The design study resulted in a prototype of size of 50 × 14 × 35 mm² including a casing. The performance could be doubled, to attain a volumetric flow rate of ~14 l/min and a static pressure of ρ_stat = 3 Pa.

Zero-net-mass flow synthetic jet devices offer a potential solution for energy- efficient cooling of medium power density electronic components. There remains an incomplete understanding of the interaction of these flows with extended surfaces, which prevents the wider implementation of these devices in the field. This study examines the effect of the main operating parameters on the heat transfer rate and electrical power consumption for a synthetic jet cooled heat sink. Three different heat sink geometries are tested. The results find that a modified sink with a 14 × 14 pin array with the central 6 × 6 pins removed provides superior cooling to either a fully pinned sink or flat plate. Furthermore each heat sink is found to have its own optimum jet orifice-to-sink spacing for heat transfer independent of flow conditions. The optimum heat transfer for the modified sink is H = 34 jet diameters. The effect of frequency on heat transfer is also studied. It is shown that heat transfer increases superlinearly with frequency at higher stroke lengths. The orientation of the impingement surface with respect to gravity has no effect on the heat transfer capabilities of the tested device. These tests are the starting point for further investigation into enhanced synthetic jet impingement surfaces. The equivalent axial fan cooled pinned heat sink (Malico Inc. MFP40- 18) has a thermal resistance of 1.93K/W at a fan power consumption of 0.12W. With the modified pinned heat sink, a synthetic jet at Re = 911, L₀/D = 10, H/D = 30 provides a thermal resistance of 2.5K/W at the same power consumption.