Thermodynamic analysis of nanocoated heat sinks for enhanced heat dissipation at room temperature

Heat sinks dissipate heat from electronic components, and the increase in heat generation owing to technological advancements has prompted researchers to improve heat sink efficiency. The present study aims to improve heat sinks by high-emissivity nanocoating where the coating is prepared using nanoparticles CuO and MWCNT at a rate of 6% in half a liter of acrylic resin and solvents xylene and butyl acetate at a rate of 30%. This study investigates the impact of nanocoating on heat sink performance at room temperature, focusing on key thermal parameters such as fin tip temperature, Rayleigh number, Nusselt number, heat dissipation, and effectiveness. The experimental analysis compares uncoated and nanocoated heat sinks at varying DC power supply ranging from 100 to 1000 W. Results indicate that the nanocoating significantly reduces the fin tip temperature while simultaneously increasing the Rayleigh and Nusselt numbers and the overall thermal effectiveness. Specifically, the nanocoating improved heat dissipation by 14.8%, 12.5%, and 10.7% at power levels of 100 W, 500 W, and 1000 W, respectively, demonstrating its superior performance across the entire tested range. Additionally, the coating enhances radiative and convective heat transfer by increasing emissivity and optimizing surface characteristics. The findings suggest that nanocoating is a promising technique for enhancing thermal management in electronic cooling applications.