Numerical Simulation of Radial Manifold Microchannel Heat sink for Next-Generation Thermal Management in Data Centers and High-Flux Electronics

Abstract

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), cloud computing, and other data-intensive technologies has significantly increased the thermal design power (TDP) of modern electronic devices, creating unprecedented cooling challenges for data centers. As heat fluxes continue to rise beyond the practical limits of conventional air-cooling systems, advanced liquid-cooling technologies have become essential to ensure reliable, energy-efficient operation. This dissertation investigates the design and optimization of advanced manifold microchannel heat sinks for high-power electronic cooling through comprehensive three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulations. The research systematically evaluates the effects of manifold curvature, nozzle placement, microchannel geometry, and tapered manifold configurations on flow distribution, thermal resistance, pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient, and temperature uniformity. The results demonstrate that properly engineered radial and tapered curved manifold designs substantially improve coolant distribution, enhance heat transfer, reduce thermal resistance, and mitigate hydraulic penalties compared with conventional straight manifold configurations. In addition to providing fundamental insight into the thermo-hydraulic mechanisms governing coolant transport, this work establishes practical design guidelines for the development of high-performance liquid-cooling solutions capable of meeting the rapidly increasing thermal demands of next-generation data centers and electronic systems.