Galinstan, a gallium, indium, and tin eutectic, may be exploited for enhanced cooling of microelectronics because of its favorable thermophysical properties. A careful evaluation of its cooling potential, however, has not been undertaken. Provided here is a first-order model to compute the total (i.e., caloric plus conjugate conduction and convection) thermal resistance of galinstan-based heat sinks. Geometrically optimized minichannel heat sinks with rectangular channels for surface area enhancement and minigap, i.e., single parallel-plate channel, heat sinks are considered. Direct liquid cooling of a microprocessor die is envisioned. Therefore, the flow channels within the heat sinks are 302- μm tall, the pressure drop prescribed across them is 214 kPa, and their streamwise length is varied from 5 to 20 mm. The calculations suggest that galinstan is a better coolant than water in such configurations, reducing thermal resistance by about 40%.

On the Potential of Galinstan-Based Minichannel and Minigap Cooling

Heat transfer in heat exchangers of sodium cooled fast reactor systems

Coupling of heat transfer between two natural convection systems separated by a vertical wall

Steady-state heat transfer with axial conduction in laminar flow in a circular tube with a specified temperature or heat flux wall

An experimental investigation on natural and forced convection in liquid metals

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on certain fundamental aspects of forced convection heat transfer in symmetrical ducts that are of special interest when the fluid is a liquid metal. Compared to the nonmetallic liquids, the combination of large thermal conductivity, small vapor pressure, and extensive temperature range over which they remain in the liquid phase make the liquid metals desirable for certain important technological applications. The most familiar of these applications is their use as coolants in nuclear reactors. The categories of liquid metal heat transfer research are provided in a tabulated form. Some of these categories include turbulent forced convection, convection with “small” Reynolds number, and condensation. The turbulent forced convection in symmetrical ducts is discussed in detail. One of the important consequences of the difference between liquid metals and nonmetallic fluids in turbulent flow is that the temperature distributions in the latter are relatively insensitive to local changes at the duct walls and thus to boundary conditions and to duct shape. This relative sensitivity is illustrated to boundary conditions by comparing computed fully developed heat transfer coefficients for a circular tube for uniform wall flux with those for uniform wall temperature.

Liquid Metal Heat Transfer

MATHEMATlCAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF HEAT TRANSFER IN DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGERS

Influence of Axial Heat Diffusion in Liquid Metal-Cooled Ducts With Specified Heat Flux

Computational procedures for recent analyses of counterflow heat exchangers

Radiation Between Concentric Cylinders With Perforations

Ralph P. Stein

Papers

Liquid Metal Heat Transfer

MATHEMATlCAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF HEAT TRANSFER IN DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGERS

Influence of Axial Heat Diffusion in Liquid Metal-Cooled Ducts With Specified Heat Flux

Computational procedures for recent analyses of counterflow heat exchangers

Radiation Between Concentric Cylinders With Perforations