"Volume-point" heat conduction constructal optimization based on minimization of maximum thermal resistance with triangular element at micro and nanoscales

The triangular assemblies of a "volume-point" heat conduction model at micro and nanoscales are investigated by using constructal theory. The optimizations of the triangular assemblies are carried out by taking minimization of maximum thermal resistance as optimization objective. The optimal constructs of the triangular assemblies with size effect are obtained, which is evidently different from those without size effect. The results show that with the increase in the internal complexity of the construct, the heat transfer performance of the construct does not always decrease, and different optimal internal design structures should be adopted according to different parameters. The "volume-point" heat conduction constructal optimization based on maximum thermal resistance minimization with triangular element can effectively reduce the maximum temperature limitation of the triangular assembly, and enhance its system safety. The optimization results obtained based on triangular element will provide some significant guidelines for the structural designs of micro-electronic devices. (C) 2015 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.