Numerical study on drag reduction and heat transfer enhancement in microchannels with superhydrophobic surfaces for electronic cooling

Microchannels with superhydrophobic surfaces are a promising candidate for electric cooling with mild frictional penalty. Frictional and thermal performance of laminar liquid-water flow in such microchannels is numerically investigated for various shear-free fractions and Reynolds numbers. The structures on superhydrophobic surfaces include square posts and holes, transverse and longitudinal grooves. Combined frictional and thermal performance of microchannels is evaluated by a goodness factor, and is compared with that of smooth plain channels. It is found that with increasing shear-free fractions, both friction factor and average Nusselt number deteriorate for four surface patterns; however, goodness factor is improved significantly over smooth plain channels. In general, superhydrophobic surfaces containing longitudinal and transverse grooves exhibit the lowest and highest frictional and thermal performance, respectively; however, combined performance of these two are on opposite. Among four surface patterns, longitudinal grooves have the highest goodness factors, except at high shear-free fractions or high Reynolds numbers where overall performance is surpassed by square posts. At very low or high shear-free fractions, frictional and thermal performance of two-dimensional square posts and holes approaches that of one-dimensional longitudinal or transverse grooves. Our study suggests microchannels with superhydrophobic surfaces as promising candidates for efficient cooling devices.