Conjugate heat transfer in a wavy microchannel using nanofluid by two-phase Eulerian–Lagrangian method

•We studied conjugate heat transfer in microelectronic devices.•We used nanofluid in wavy walls microchannel to improve heat transfer.•Results are for Al2O3 particle diameter of 120 nm and volume fraction up to 2%.•Two phase model and Eulerian–Lagrangian method has been used.•Nusselt number increases 11.6% for ϕ=0.02ϕ=0.02 in compare with pure water.

In this paper, conjugate heat transfer in wavy microchannels using nanofluid has been studied numerically. The nanofluid has been simulated as two-phase model using Eulerian–Lagrangian approach. Nanofluid is water–Al2O3 with 120 nm diameter and volume fraction from 0% to 2%. Three-dimensional governing equations including continuity, Navier-Stokes and energy equations have been solved by well-known SIMPLE method. The governing equations for particles have been solved by four order of Runge–Kutta. Two-ways coupling between the fluid and particles phases is employed and appears in the momentum and energy equations of fluid as source terms. The results show a good agreement with experimental results. The Nusselt number increases because of wavy walls of the microchannel in compare with straight walls microchannels and because of using nanofluid instead of water as working fluid. Also, the increase in particles volume fraction result in Nusselt number increment without sensitive increase in pressure drop.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide