Design of cooling systems for electronic equipment using both experimental and numerical inputs

This paper presents a methodology for the design and optimization of cooling systems for electronic equipment. In this approach, inputs from both experimentation and numerical modeling are to be used concurrently to obtain an acceptable or optimal design. The experimental conditions considered are driven by the numerical simulation and vice versa. Thus, the two approaches are employed in conjunction, rather than separately, as is the case in traditional design methods. Numerical simulation is used to consider different geometries, materials, and dimensions, whereas experiments are used for obtaining results for different flow rates and heat inputs, as these can often be varied more easily in experiments than in simulations. Also, transitional and turbulent flows are more accurately and more conveniently investigated experimentally. Thus, by using both approaches concurrently, the entire design domain is covered, leading to a rapid, convergent, and realistic design process. Two simple configurations of electronic cooling systems are used to demonstrate this approach.