Abstract
An experimentally validated numerical model is developed to analyze the operation of a piezoelectrically actuated cantilever vibrating close to a heated surface. The vibrating cantilever acts as a fan and provides localized cooling. The numerical results for the flow field and heat transfer show satisfactory agreement with experiments. The numerical model is used to develop fan curves for the piezoelectric fans, using a methodology similar to that used in constructing pump or fan curves for conventional fans. A simplified model based on stagnation region heat transfer in impingement flows is also proposed to estimate the heat transfer from a piezoelectric fan. The velocities obtained from the piezoelectric fan curves generated are used in this impingement heat transfer model, and the predictions are found to agree with measured stagnation zone Nusselt numbers with an average deviation of 17%.
Date of this Version
2009
DOI
10.1080/01457630802529115
Published in:
T. Acikalin and S.V. Garimella, "Analysis and Prediction of the Thermal Performance of Piezoelectrically Actuated Fans," Heat Transfer Engineering, Vol. 30(6), pp. 487-498, 2009.