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In recent years, PCR-based methods as a rapid and high accurate technique in the industry and medical fields have been expanded rapidly. Where we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity of a rapid diagnosis has felt more than ever. In the current interdisciplinary study, we have proposed, developed, and characterized a state-of-the-art liquid cooling design to accelerate the PCR procedure. A numerical simulation approach is utilized to evaluate 15 different cross-sections of the microchannel heat sink and select the best shape to achieve this goal. Also, crucial heat sink parameters are characterized, e.g., heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, performance evaluation criteria, and fluid flow. The achieved result showed that the circular cross-section is the most efficient shape for the microchannel heat sink, which has a maximum heat transfer enhancement of 25% compared to the square shape at the Reynolds number of 1150. In the next phase of the study, the circular cross-section microchannel is located below the PCR device to evaluate the cooling rate of the PCR. Also, the results demonstrate that it takes 16.5 s to cool saliva samples in the PCR well, which saves up to 157.5 s for the whole amplification procedure compared to the conventional air fans. Another advantage of using the microchannel heat sink is that it takes up a little space compared to other common cooling methods.

Over the past two decades, electronic technology and miniaturization of electronic devices continue to grow exponentially, and heat dissipation becomes a critical issue for electronic devices due to larger heat generation. So, the need to cool down electronic components has led to the development of multiple cooling methods and microscale heat sinks. This chapter reviewed recent advances in developing an efficient heat sink, including (1) geometry parameters, (2) flow parameters that affect the hydraulic–thermal performance of the heat sink. Also, the main goal of this chapter is to address the current gap between academic research and industry. Furthermore, commercialized electronic cooling devices for various applications are highlighted, and their operating functions are discussed, which has not been presented before.

A numerical study was conducted to investigate the ability of wavy microchannels to damp the temperature fluctuations generates in electronic devices. Five wavy patterns are considered with the amplitude and wavelength in the ranges of 62.5 to 250 μm and 1250 to 5000 μm, respectively to study the effect of governing phenomena of flow within wavy patterns on thermal–hydraulic performance. The flow regime is laminar and the Reynolds number is in the range of 300 to 900, and a relatively high heat flux of 80 W/cm2 is applied to the microchannels substrate. Also, variable flux condition is studied for heat fluxes of 80, 120, 160, 200, and 240 W/cm2 and for the most efficient wavy and straight microchannels. Results showed that the geometries with larger amplitude to wavelength ratio have a lower radius of curvature and larger Dean number, and as a result of transverse flow (secondary flow) amplification, they have enhanced heat transfer. Also, by comparing the ratio of the transverse velocity components to the axial component, it was found that by decreasing the radius of curvature and increasing the Dean number, transverse velocity increases, which intensifies the heat transfer between the wall and the fluid. The appraisement of the performance evaluation criterion (PEC) illustrates that the wavy case with an amplitude of 250 μm and wavelength of 2500 μm is the best geometry from the thermal–hydraulic point of view in the studied range. Finally, with variable flux condition, the wavy microchannel has responded well to the temperature increase and has created a much more uniform surface temperature compared to straight pattern. The proposed wavy pattern ensures that there are no hotspots which could damage the electronic chip. Presented wavy patterns can be used in heat sinks heat transfer enhancement to allow the chip to run in higher heat fluxes.