A Study on the Flow and Cooling Characteristics with the Inlet Blockage of a Fan-Sink

홴싱크의 입구 봉쇄에 따른 유동 및 냉각 특성에 관한 연구

In this study, the flow and thermal performance of the heat sink and fan-sink were experimentally studied to predict the operating condition of the fan-sink. The experiments of the flow and thermal resistance of the heat sink with various inlet blockage, which were occurred by the shapes of the axial fans, were conducted for the proof of the effects of the inlet blockages. The greater the inlet blockage of the heat sink, the higher the pressure drop and lower the thermal resistance of the heat sink will be. The operating point of the fan-sink was predicted by the pressure drop curve with the inlet blockage, which was corresponded to the selected fan and the fan performance curve, and verified by the performance test of the fan-sink. The predicted operating point of the fan-sink had good agreement with the result of the performance test of the fan-sink within $0.7\%$ of the volume flow rates. Measured thermal resistance of the fan-sink was equivalent to that of the heat sink with the same inlet blockage of the fan-sink. It was shown that the heat transfer characteristics of the heat sink were influenced by the flow interaction between the selected fan and the heat sink. To improve the thermal resistance of the heat sink, it is necessary to consider appropriate flow patterns of the fan outlet entering into the heat sink.