TY - JOUR TI - Genetic algorithm-based heat transfer enhancement technique of a protruded micro-channel AU - Yang Ke AU - Zheng Zhaoli AU - Zhang Di JN - Thermal Science PY - 2019 VL - 23 IS - 13 SP - 727 EP - 735 PT - Article AB - As an innovative type of passive flow control structure, the protrusion exhibits great potential for heat transfer enhancement. In this paper, genetic algorithm is used for the dimensional optimization of a protruded micro-channel. The protruded micro-channel is studied at four mass-flow rates. In all the cases, thermal performance is selected as the objective function that represents both heat transfer and flow friction. The radius of the protrusion and the distance are selected as the two optimized parameters, and their ranges are decided by physical topologies. The objective function thermal performance is calculated by an auto-CFD batch program. The results shows that there are two peaks of thermal performance values when R and δ change in the cases with flow rates equaling 4 ⋅ 10–5 kg/s and 6 ⋅ 10–5 kg/s, while at the other two flow rates, the thermal performance values increase monotonously. The global optimal solutions for the four flow rates and two local optimal solutions are given in this research, and it is helpful to choose the best design variables to achieve the highest thermal performance. It also can be found that at all the different flow rates, the optimized shape of micro-channel has the same point that (R-δ) is nearly 45 μm in the studied ranges of optimized parameters.