Comparative analysis of jet impingement and microchannel cooling for high heat flux applications

In this work, a comparative investigation of jet impingement and microchannel cooling is presented. The thermal performance of each technology evaluated at the respective optimal condition is compared to each other with the target dimension as a main parameter. It is revealed that the microchannel cooling is preferable for a target dimension smaller than 0.07 by 0.07 m, while the jet impingement is comparable or better than the microchannel cooling for a larger target plate if a proper treatment is applied for the spent flow after the impingement. Various pertinent aspects of each technology as well as a detailed comparative analysis of the two technologies are presented. In selecting a technology from the two, the economic aspects, such as manufacturing and maintenance cost, also have to be taken into account, since the better performing one may not be necessarily the more suitable one. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.