Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Mini-Channel Graphite Foam and Aluminum Heat Sinks

Effective thermal management is crucial for improving the performance and reliability of

electronic devices with increasing power densities. In this study, a novel modification

approach was proposed by introducing cylindrical mini-channels along the flow direction

of block graphite foam material. For comparison, an aluminum heat sink with the same

mini-channel configuration was also developed, as aluminum is commonly used in heat

transfer applications. Both heat sinks with a mini-channel diameter of 2 mm were

numerically investigated. Subsequently, parametric studies were conducted within a

Reynolds number (Re) range of 163–1862 using COMSOL Multiphysics by varying the

the number of channels (41, 50, and 59). The influence of these parameters on the Nusselt

number (Nu), pressure drop (ΔP), and thermal performance factor (η) were systematically

evaluated. The results indicate that Nu and ΔP increase with Re for both heat sinks.

Increasing the number of channels improves Nu without causing a significant rise in ΔP,

resulting in a moderate increase in η. A comparison between aluminum and graphite foam

heat sinks reveals that, although the porous structure of graphite foam ensures

consistently lower ΔP, Nu values remain comparable due to the balance between its high

specific surface area and the high thermal conductivity of aluminum with added surface

area from mini-channels.