Synthetic jet actuators for heat transfer enhancement – A critical review

•Introduction of traditional cooling integrated technologies and their challenges are briefed.•Characteristics and generation mechanisms of synthetic jet and its physics of formation and evolution is explained.•Cooling performance of synthetic jet electronic devices, integrated with heat sinks and microchannel, detailed on the basis of geometrical and operational parameters.•Future research gaps and challenges of synthetic jet based electronics cooling are highlighted. The efficient and reliable thermal management of electronic devices presents a real challenge despite potential solutions offered by several thermal management techniques. The synthetic jet actuator (SJA), which is a micro-fluidic device, is a promising cooling technology for the heat transfer enhancement of a wide range of electronics devices. This review paper intends to cover a detailed overview of synthetic jet (SJ) characteristics and parameters that can influence the fluid–flow and heat transfer enhancement. Initially, an overview on cooling technologies and their challenges are presented and then the flow physics of SJ are explained. Further, this paper provides a deep insight into the effect of various parameters which influence SJ heat transfer performance such as orifice–to–surface spacing, dimensionless stroke–length, excitation frequency, orifice and cavity dimensions and single and multiple orifices. Additionally, the cooling performance of SJ–based heat sinks and microchannels of various configurations are discussed to explore the effect of geometry on the thermal performance of electronic devices. Finally, potential research gaps and challenges are listed as a foundation for future research.