Topology optimization (TO) is an effective approach to designing novel and efficient heat transfer devices. However, the TO of conjugate heat transfer has been essentially limited to laminar flow conditions only. The present study proposes a framework for TO involving turbulent conjugate heat transfer based on the variable density method. Different from the commonly used and oversimplified Darcy model, this approach is based on the more accurate and widely accepted k-ε model to optimize turbulent flow channels. We add penalty terms to the Navier-Stokes equation, turbulent kinetic energy equation, and turbulent energy dissipation equation, and use interpolation models for the thermal properties of materials. A multi-objective optimization function, aiming to minimize the pressure drop and the average temperature, is set up to balance the thermal and hydraulic performance. A case study is conducted to compare various optimization methods in the turbulent regime, and the results show that the present method has substantially higher optimization effectiveness while remaining computationally inexpensive.
Keywords: cooling channel design; fluid topology optimization; fluid–solid conjugate heat transfer; k-ε turbulent model; variable density method.