Optimization of Synthetic Jet Fluidic Structures in Printed Wiring Boards

Abstract

The active cooling substrate in this study is a microelectromechanical system device that implements the synthetic jet concept into a printed wiring board (PWB) to enhance thermal management. Synthetic jets are oscillatory jets synthesized from the surrounding fluid using electromagnetic actuators. The jet fluid mechanics and heat transfer applications have been investigated by a variety of on-board (PWB) fluidic structures. A testbed comprising six different fluidic channels has been fabricated and characterized with a standard silicon based platinum heater. Based on the fluid mechanics measurements and cooling performance tests, an empirical correlation of synthetic jet Nusselt number with its Reynolds number, fluidic channel dimensions, and jet locations has been derived. Through a magnitude analysis, jet actuator diaphragm, fluidic channel dimension, and cooling location optimizations have been investigated.