Thermomagnetic Convection in Square and Shallow Enclosures for Electronics Cooling

Abstract

Combined temperature and magnetic field gradients established in ferrofluids induce thermomagnetic convection. We report a comparative numerical analysis of steady-state convection carried out for a square and a shallow enclosure under zero-gravity conditions. Two symmetrically placed, discrete, constant-flux flush-mounted heaters on the bottom wall of the cavities represent power-dissipating devices in electronics/MEMS applications. The sidewalls serve as heat sinks. A line dipole placed below the bottom wall is the field-source. The role of the magnetic field, the thermal boundary conditions, and the enclosure dimensions in influencing heat transfer are revealed through a comparative thermal-fluidic analysis in different convection-dominated operational regimes.

This work was partially supported by the Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Jadavpur University under the UGC Scheme of University with Potential for Excellence. We acknowledge the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India for the financial support provided to the first author.