Optimization and performance analysis of PCM heat sink with flat heat pipes under extreme thermal loads

초록

"Effective heat removal from electronic devices is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and ensuring reliability, particularly under high thermal loads. Despite extensive research on phase change material (PCM) heat sinks with heat pipes, most studies have been limited to moderate thermal loads, leaving a critical gap in understanding and optimizing PCM heat sinks under extreme thermal loads. Addressing this gap, the current study presents an advanced PCM heat sink design that integrates six fins and 24 embedded flat heat pipes (each measuring 9 mm × 49 mm × 1 mm) for mitigating extreme thermal loads. A numerical model of the advanced PCM heat sink was developed and rigorously validated against experimental data at 25 kW·m−2 and 45 kW·m−2 conditions. The proposed design demonstrated a 102% longer time to reach the critical temperature compared with the baseline structure. Additionally, it achieved a 42% higher latent heat absorption ratio than the baseline structure. Optimization of the heat pipe geometry, conducted using response surface methodology, led to a 16.7% enhancement in the average Nusselt number and a 14.8% increase in thermal conductance. These results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating flat heat pipes and employing multi-objective optimization in developing PCM heat sinks that offer superior thermal performance while ensuring practical feasibility under extreme thermal loads. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

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