The effects of property variations in single-phase forced convection heat transfer through circular Microchannels are investigated in the work. The thermal performance of 300 W microchannel heat exchanger is tested with microchannel diameters varying in the range from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. Thermal design of 300 W microchannel heat exchanger is carried out using effectiveness-NTU method. A computational analysis is then performed to confirm the design specifications of the heat exchanger. Fabrication of heat exchanger is carried out based on the design specifications and tested for parametric variations. Reduction in hydraulic diameter of microchannel enhances thermal performance of heat exchanger significantly. It is found that the overall size of the heat exchanger gets reduced by 50% for a 300 W heat exchanger. The study also suggests that microchannel of 1-mm diameter can be comfortably used for single-phase applications. Considering the high demand for heat transfer equipment, microchannel heat exchanger form one of the best suitable alternatives with respect to its weight and compact size. This increases the possibility of Microchannel Heat Exchanger’s use in automobile and space applications.

Thermal design, computational analysis, Microchannel heat exchanger, NTU, Parametric analysis