THERMAL SCIENCE

International Scientific Journal

Khaled M Almohammadi

,

Bandar Awadh AlmohammadiORCID

,

Khairy Elsayed

,

H.a. Refaey

,

Mohamed A KaraliORCID

EFFECT OF UTILIZING ROUGHED SURFACES WITHIN A CURVED MICROCHANNEL HAVING CAVITIES ON THE THERMO-HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT
Curved microchannels with cavities have warranted significant interest from researchers due to their potential to improve the thermo-hydraulic performance of micro-scale hot components. However, there is a scarcity of information concerning the impact of using rough surfaces to such devices for heat transfer enhancement. To this focus, CFD simulations are conducted on a curved microchannel featuring cavities and different surface roughness without identifying any symmetrical planes. The microchannel comprises two curved segments, having a hydraulic diameter (Dh) of 0.3mm. Aluminum serves as a solid material, whereas water functions as a coolant. Reynolds number (Re) varies from 10 to 800. A constant heat flux of 30kW/m² is applied. Three cases with varying surface roughness (Ks/D) are analyzed: 0%, 3%, and 9%. The findings indicated that using rough surfaces is helpful for effective turbulence-inducing through boundary layer disturbing for heat transfer enhancement at low Re. An enhancement in heat transfer of 22.3% is observed, attributable to the roughness of 9% at Re=800, compared to the smooth baseline scenario, while the overall performance improved by about 12.2%. Two correlations are developed as a function of Re and Ks/D for Nusselt and Poiseuille numbers, which are believed to be useful for designers of microchannels.
KEYWORDS
Rough surfaces, Curved microchannel, Cavity, Heat Transfer Enhancement, pressure drop
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-07-29
PAPER REVISED: 2025-09-24
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-10-12
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-11-08
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI250729196A
REFERENCES
[1] Li, M.; Gao, X.; Li, H.; Xu, T., A quantitative study on the influence of cavity distributionon flow and heat transfer characteristics in curved microchannels introducing the cavity throughput ratio. Applied Thermal Engineering 241 (2024). 122388., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122388
[2] Tuckerman, D.B.; Pease, R.F., High performance heat sinking for VLSI. IEEEElectron. Dev. Lett. EDL 2 (1981) 126-129
[3] Asadi, M.; Xie, G.; Sunden, B., A review of heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of single and two-phase microchannels. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 79 (2014) 34-53., 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2014.07.090
[4] Viday, A.V.; Soshelev, S.B.; Reznikov, G.V.; Kharitonov, V.V.; Cheremushkin, S.V., Thermophysical design of the parameters of a computer board with a microchannel cooling system. J. Eng. Phys. Thermophys. 64 (1) (1993) 80-86
[5] Mundinger, D.; Beach, R.; Benett, W.; Solarz, R.; Krupke, W.; Staver, R.; Tuckerman, D., Demonstration of high performance silicon microchannel heat exchangers for laser diode array cooling, Appl. Phys. Lett. 53 (12) (1988) 1030-1032., 10.1063/1.100055
[6] Mehendale, S.S.; Jacobi, A.M.; Ahah, R.K., Fluid flow and heat transfer at micro and meso-scales with application to heat exchanger design, Appl. Mech. Rev. 53 (2000) 175-193
[7] Kandlikar, S.G.; Grande, W.J., Evolution of microchannel flow passages thermo hydraulic performance and fabrication technology. Heat Transfer Eng. 24 (2003) 3-17., 10.1080/01457630304040
[8] Chen, S.; Liu, Z.; Wang, B.; Li, P., Heat transfer enhancement and temperature uniformity improvement of microchannel heat sinks with twisted blade-like fins. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 52 (2023) 103788., 10.1016/j.csite.2023.103788
[9] Pfahler, J.; Harley, J.; Bau, H.H.; Zemel, J.N., Liquid and gas transport in small channels. Proceedings of the ASME DSC, 31 (1990) 149-157
[10] Zhang, X.; Liu, J.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, G., Optimized Design and Testing of Enhanced Heat 15 Transfer Secondary Micro-Channels on the Surface of Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Flow Channels. Energies. 18(6) (2025) 1459., 10.3390/en18061459
[11] Asako, Y.; Nakayama, K.; Shinozuka, T., Effect of compressibility on gaseous flows in a micro-tube. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 48 (2005) 4985-4994., 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2005.05.039
[12] Qu, W.; Mudawar, I., Experimental and numerical study of pressure drop and heat transfer in a single-phase micro-channel heat sink. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 45 (12) (2002) 2549-2565
[13] Shen, S.; Xu, J.L.; Zhou, J.J.; Chen, Y., Flow and heat transfer in microchannels with rough wall surface. J. Energy Convers. Manage. 47 (2006) 1311-1325., 10.1016/j.enconman.2005.09.001
[14] Abdoli, A.; Jimenez, G.; Dulikravich, G.S., Thermo-fluid analysis of micro pin-fin array cooling configurations for high heat fluxes with a hot spot. Int. J. Therm. Sci. 90 (2015) 290-297., 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2014.12.021
[15] Rajalingam A.; Chakraborty, S., Effect of shape and arrangement of micro-structures in a microchannel heat sink on the thermo-hydraulic performance. Applied Thermal Engineering 190 (2021) 116755., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.116755
[16] Wang, H.; Fu, T.; Wang, J.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, K.; Deng, X., Study on heat transfer performance of fin-and-tube heat exchanger with elliptical fins. J. Energy Storage 56 (2022) 105956., 10.1016/j.est.2022.105956
[17] Jia, Y.; Xia, G.; Li, Y.; Ma, D.; Cai, B., Heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of combined microchannel with cone-shaped micro pin fins. Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 92 (2018) 78-89., 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2017.11.004
[18] Li, Y.; Wang, Z.; Yang, J.; Liu, H., Thermal and hydraulic characteristics of microchannel heat sinks with cavities and fins based on field synergy and thermodynamic analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering 175 (2020) 115348., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.115348
[19] Li, M.; Gao, X.; Li, H.; Sang, J.; Nie, P.; Fang, W.; Xu, T., Investigation of Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics in Microchannels with Fins. Machines11 (2023) 154., 10.3390/machines11020154
[20] Bhatt, H.; Bist, H.; Gola, H.; Zunaid, M., Variation of heat transfer characteristics of a microchannel heat sink with geometry. Mater. Today Proc. 56 (2022) 936-942., 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.02.631
[21] Sadique, H.; Murtaza, Q.; Samsher, Heat transfer augmentation in microchannel heat sink using secondary flows: A review. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 194 (2022) 123063., 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123063
[22] Jiang, F.; Drese, K.S.; Hardt, S.; Küpper, M.; Schönfeld, F., Helical flows and chaotic mixing in curved micro channels. AIChE J. 50 (9) (2004) 2297-2305. 16, 10.1002/aic.10188
[23] Guzniczak, E.; Otto, O.; Whyte, G.; Willoughby, N.; Jimenez, M.; Bridle, H., Deformability-induced lift force in spiral microchannels for cell separation. Lab Chip 20 (3) (2020) 614-625., 10.1039/c9lc01000a
[24] Liu, Y.; Jian, Y.; Yang, C.,Electrochemomechanical energy conversion efficiency in curved rectangular nanochannels. Energy 198 (2020) 117401., 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117401
[25] Rovenskaya, O. I., "Computational Study of 3D Rarefied Gas Flow in Microchannel with 90 Bend." European Journal of Mechanics. B, Fluids 59 (2016) 7-17., 10.1016/j.euromechflu.2016.04.008
[26] Yang, X.; Yao, H.; Zhao, G.; Ameer, G.A.; Sun, W.; Yang, J.; Mi, S., Flexible, wearable microfluidic contact lens with capillary networks for tear diagnostics. J. Mater. Sci. 55 (2020) 9551-9561., 10.1007/s10853-020-04688-2
[27] Khoshvaght-Aliabadi, M.; Deldar, S.; Salimi, A.; Rashidi, M.M., Effects of cross section geometry on performance of corrugated miniature heat sink: Uniform, convergent, divergent, and hybrid cases. Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 127 (2021) 105269., 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2021.105269
[28] Zhang, L.Y.; Duan, R.J.; Che, Y.; Lu, Z.; Cui, X.; Wei, L.C.; Jin, L.W., A numerical analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer in wavy and curved wavy channels. Int. J. Therm. Sci. 171 (2022) 107248., 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2021.107248
[29] Chandratilleke, T.T.; Nadim, N.; Narayanaswamy, R., Vortex structure based analysis of laminar flow behaviour and thermal characteristics in curved ducts. Int. J. Therm. Sci. 59 (2012) 75-86., 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2012.04.014
[30] Liu, X.; Fu, Y.; Wang, J.; Zhang, H.; Zhu, J., Investigation on flow and heat transfer in rectangular cross-section sinusoidal channels. Int. J. Therm. Sci. 176 (2022) 107490., 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2022.107490
[31] Mario Di Capua, H.; Escobar, R.; Diaz, A.J.; Guzmán, A.M., Enhancement of the cooling capability of a high concentration photovoltaic system using microchannels with forward triangular ribs on sidewalls. Appl. Energy 226 (2018) 160-180., 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.05.052
[32] Liu, X.; Zhang, H.; Zhu, C.; Wang, F.; Li, Z., Effects of structural parameters on fluid flow and heat transfer in a serpentine microchannel with fan-shaped reentrant cavities. Appl. Therm. Eng. 151 (2019) 406-416., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2019.02.033
[33] Li, M.; Gao, X.; Li, H.; Ma, Y.; Sang, J.; Xu, T., Effect of curvature ratio on curved microchannel heat sinks. International Journal of Thermofluids 22 (2024) 100635., 10.1016/j.ijft.2024.100635
[34] Ansari, M.Q.; Zhou, G., Flow and heat transfer analysis of microchannels structured with rectangular surface roughness. Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification 156 (2020) 108066. 17, 10.1016/j.cep.2020.108066
[35] Mandev, E.; Manay, E., Effects of surface roughness in multiple microchannels on mixed convective heat transfer. Applied Thermal Engineering 217 (2022) 119102., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119102
[36] Karali, M.A.; Almohammadi, B.A.; Bin Mahfouz, A.S.; Abdelmohimen, M.A.H.; Attia, E.; Refaey, H.A., Effect of surfaces roughness of a staggered tube bank in cross flow with air on heat transfer and pressure drop. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 43 (2023) 102779., 10.1016/j.csite.2023.102779
[37] Agrawal, Y.; Bhagoria, J.L.; Gautam, A.; Chaurasiya, P.K.; Dhanraj, J.A.; Solomon, J.M.; Salyan, S., Experimental evaluation of hydrothermal performance of solar air heater with discrete roughened plate.Applied Thermal Engineering 211 (2022) 118379., 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.118379
[38] Cahyo, N.; Paryanto, P.; Nugraha, A.D.; Simaremare, A.; Aditya, I.A.; Siregar, B.S.L.; Tauviqirrahman, M. Effect of Engineered Roughness on the Performance of Journal Bearings Lubricated by Bingham Plastic Fluid Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Lubricants 2022, 10, 333. [doi.org/10.3390/]( lubricants10120333
[39] Karali, M.A.; Alharthi, M.A.; Refaey, H.A., Influence of using different tapered longitudinal section manifolds in a Z shaped flat plate solar collector on flow distribution uniformity. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 33 (2022) 101922., 10.1016/j.csite.2022.101922
[40] ANSYS CFX-Solver Theory Guide, ANSYS Inc. R 18.0, 2017
[41] Lu, H.; Xu, M.; Gong, L.; Duan, X.; Chai, J.C., Effects of surface roughness in microchannel with passive heat transfer enhancement structures. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 148 (2020) 119070., 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.119070
PDF VERSION [DOWNLOAD]
Effect of utilizing roughed surfaces within a curved microchannel having cavities on the thermo-hydraulic performance

© 2026 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence