Numerical predictions of heat transfer and flow characteristics of heat sinks with ribbed and dimpled surfaces in laminar flow

Steady flow characteristics and surface Nusselt number distributions of heat sinks with smooth, ribbed, and dimpled surfaces are investigated in laminar flow using the numerical code FLUENT 6.2.16. Presented are local and spatially averaged surface Nusselt numbers, as well as distributions of numerically predicted flow characteristics within the heat sink passages. These include distributions of static pressure, velocity, and streamwise vorticity in flow cross-sectional planes. These results are valuable because of the design information provided to optimize heat sink thermal performance, without the use of costly and time-consuming experiments.