Converging Jet Impingement for Enhanced Liquid Cooling

Jet impingement cooling is an advanced thermal management technique for high heat flux applications. Standard configurations include single, axisymmetric jets with orifice, slot, or pipe nozzles. This choice in nozzle shape, number of jets, and jet inclination greatly influences the turbulence generated by fluid entrainment due to differences in initial velocity profiles and location of secondary stagnation points. Regarding high power electronics with integrated jet impingement schemes, turbulence, and heat transfer rates must be optimized to meet the extreme cooling requirements. In this study, the heat transfer rates of dual inclined converging jets are investigated experimentally. Emphasis is placed on the comparison of different jet schemes with respect to geometrical parameters including nozzle pitch, incline angle, and nozzle-to-target plate spacing. A parametric experimental investigation is performed as a point of comparison using a modular, additively manufactured jet setup. Computational simulations are used to evaluate the effect of jet configuration on stagnation pressure associated with maximum heat transfer rates, and an empirical Nusselt number model is provided. The results show the effects of convergence height on jet behavior and the associated impacts on heat transfer.