THERMAL SCIENCE
International Scientific Journal
Thermal Science - Online First
online first only
Study on heat transfer characteristics of Z-type parallel multi-branch pipe group
ABSTRACT
Z-type parallel multi-branch pipe groups are widely utilized to deliver fluid in cooling high-power electronic equipment. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software is commonly used to perform numerical simulations of these systems. This study examines the effects of varying inlet flow rates, branch pipe diameters, and main pipe diameters on flow characteristics and heat transfer. The flow deviation coefficient and temperature distribution were used to assess the flow uniformity in branch pipes and the heat transfer efficiency of cold plates. The findings reveal that increasing the inlet flow rate enhances flow inhomogeneity but decreases the overall temperature of the cold plate. Similarly, increasing the branch pipe diameter strengthens flow inhomogeneity without significantly affecting the cold plate's temperature distribution. Conversely, increasing the main pipe diameter exacerbates the uneven flow distribution and results in more local hot spots on the cold plate. Based on these simulation results, an optimized design for Z-type parallel multi-branch pipe systems can be developed to improve flow uniformity and heat transfer efficiency.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2024-09-10
PAPER REVISED: 2024-11-05
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2024-11-12
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2024-12-07
- Kubo, T., Ueda, T., On the characteristics of divided flow and confluent flow in headers, Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, 12 (2008), pp. 802-809
- Ahn, H., et al., Flow distribution in manifolds for low Reynolds number flow, Journal of Mechanical Science & Technology, 12 (1998), pp. 87-95
- Lee, J. K., Lee, S. Y., Distribution of two-phase annular flow at header-channel junctions, Experimental Thermal & Fluid Science, 28 (2004), pp. 217-222
- Zhu, Z. Y., Experimental and visualization study on gas-liquid two phase flow character in distribution headers, North China Electric Power University (Beijing) (in Chinese) (2015)
- Chen, F., et al., An optimization method for uniform flow distribution in the manifold of server cabinet. Energy Science & Engineering, 9 ( 2021), pp. 390-401
- Griffini, G., Gavriilidis, A., Effect of microchannel plate design on fluid flow uniformity at low flow rates. Chemical Engineering & Technology: Industrial Chemistry‐Plant Equipment‐Process Engineering‐Biotechnology, 30 (2007), pp. 395-406
- Kim, D., et al., Effects of manifold geometries on flow uniformity in microchannel device, Journal of Mechanical Science & Technology, 25 (2011), pp. 3069-3074
- Acrivos et al., Flow distributions in manifolds, Chemical Engineering Science, 10 (1959), pp. 112-124
- Amador, C., et al., Flow distribution in different micro-reactor scale-out geometries and the effect of manufacturing tolerances and channel blockage. Chemical Engineering Journal, 101 (2004), pp. 379-390
- Lee, J. K., Sang, Y. L., Distribution of two-phase annular flow at header-channel junctions, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 28 (2004), pp. 217-222
- Kim, N. H., Han, S. P., Distribution of air-water annular flow in a header of parallel flow heat exchanger. International Journal of Heat & Mass Transfer, 51 (2008), pp. 977-992
- Fang, Y., et al., Investigation on the transient thermal performance of a mini-channel cold plate for battery thermal management. Journal of Thermal Science, 30 (2021), pp.914-925
- Shen, M., Gao, Q., Structure design and effect analysis on refrigerant cooling enhancement of battery thermal management system for electric vehicles. Journal of Energy Storage, 32 (2020), 101940
- Hosseini S M et al., Classification of turbulent jets in a T-junction area with a 90-deg bend upstream. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 51 (2008), pp.2444-2454
- Gong, Z., et al., A study of the effects of the micro-channel cold plate on the cooling performance of battery thermal management systems. Thermal Science, 26 (2022), pp.1503-1517
- Sharma, M. K., et al., Flow Distribution of Multiphase Flow in Parallel Channels. Handbook of Multiphase Flow Science and Technology. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2023, pp.1241-1277