Development of a Compact 3D Manifold Design for Cooling of Internal Heatsinks Using External Airflow

Dr. Shailesh Joshi and Dr. Eric Dede from the Electronics Research Department present a novel approach to improving thermal management in vehicles exposed to harsh, debris-laden airflow environments. Their study introduces a compact three-dimensional (3D) manifold design aimed at enhancing the cooling of internal heatsinks using external airflow, while mitigating common issues caused by dust, particles, and foreign object debris (FOD).

Traditional forced convection cooling systems rely heavily on plate-fin heatsinks, which channel all incoming air through internal fins. However, this design is vulnerable to clogging and damage when exposed to contaminated airflow, leading to reduced cooling efficiency and increased maintenance. To address these challenges, the authors developed the ‘CONDIV’ manifold—a unique multi-path architecture that divides the external airflow. Part of the air is drawn through the internal heatsink, while the remainder bypasses it by flowing directly through the manifold.

The CONDIV manifold is constructed from angled fins arranged to create converging–diverging channels. When exposed to external airflow, these channels generate alternating high and low pressure zones that effectively pull a portion of the air through the internal heatsink. Simultaneously, debris and excess air pass through the manifold itself, reducing the risk of clogging and maintaining airflow efficiency.

Using comprehensive parametric optimization and 3D simulations in ANSYS Fluent, the study demonstrated that the CONDIV design outperforms traditional plate-fin heatsinks of similar mass. In fully ducted flow conditions, the manifold achieved 8.3–32.6% higher base heat fluxes, while allowing flow bypass still resulted in 3.4–22.5% improvements. These results underscore the potential of the CONDIV manifold to significantly enhance cooling performance in vehicles operating in environments with debris-laden airflow, offering a robust and efficient solution for thermal management challenges.