, Serwan S. Mohammed Talabani 2
, Ahmed T. Azeez 3
, Zanyar Q. Salih 4
, Sana Wali 5
, Huda Zuber 6
, Chenar Ali 7
, Mohsen Naje 8
2Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
3Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
4Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
5Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
6Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
7Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
8Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya 44023, Iraq
Abstract
Heat sinks are vital components for preventing overheating in electronic devices, and perfecting their performance is a key challenge due to their compact design and the need for effective heat dissipation. This paper aims to use experimentally validated simulations in SolidWorks (2023) to improve their cooling efficiency by evaluating shape factors of three designs: square, circular, and elliptical. The response surface method was
used to assess the combined effects of drilling parameters (diameter, depth, and number of holes) on performance optimization. The results showed that the square shape was superior because its temperature was 44°C and 34°C lower than those of the circular and elliptical shapes, respectively. The highest Nusselt number and the lowest thermal resistance further confirmed the superiority of the square design. Additionally,
drilling 195 holes of 1.5 mm diameter through the entire thickness (30 mm) of the heat sink further reduced the temperature by 19 °C compared to an undrilled square heat sink. Drilling with these dimensions increased the exposed surface area and decreased the thermally stored mass by 13.15 %, which provides a physical explanation for the observed improvements. While existing literature discusses the roles of drilling and shape
factors, no studies have examined their combined influence specifically in the core of heat sinks. This study aims to integrate numerical analyses and experimental findings using statistical methods, thereby extending current research and highlighting the novelty of this work. The findings inspire engineers to develop eco-efficient passive cooling systems for electronic devices.
