Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Mesh Independence In A Microchannel Heat Sink Model

Abstract

Microchannel heat sinks are widely used in electronic cooling applications due to their high heat removal capability and compact structure. In Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, mesh quality significantly influences the accuracy, stability, and reliability of numerical results. Therefore, this study presents a mesh independence analysis of a microchannel heat sink using ANSYS Fluent under steady-state conditions. A three-dimensional heat sink model was developed based on a standard microchannel configuration, and mesh size was selected as the primary variable while all other simulation parameters were maintained constant. Three different mesh resolutions, namely coarse, medium, and fine meshes, were generated with an initial element size of 0.0003 m and evaluated through a series of simulations. The effects of mesh refinement on convergence behaviour, numerical stability, and temperature distribution were investigated. Residual plots and contour results were analysed to determine the influence of mesh density on solution accuracy. The results indicate that finer meshes provide more detailed and stable thermal predictions, while coarse meshes may introduce deviations in the numerical solution. However, beyond a certain level of refinement, the variation in simulation results becomes negligible, indicating that grid independence has been achieved. The study demonstrates the importance of conducting mesh independence analysis to ensure reliable CFD simulations while achieving an appropriate balance between computational cost and solution accuracy for microchannel heat sink applications.