Enabling Compact Thermal Systems through Insights on Microscale Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena

Abstract

Heat transfer in microscale geometries offers the advantage of high heat transfer coefficients and large surface area-to-volume ratios, and therefore, the potential to develop compact heat and mass transfer devices and systems. This paper provides an overview of a variety of applications ranging from tens of Watts to Megawatts of heat transfer rates that can benefit from these insights into coupled heat and mass transfer. Practical challenges and innovations in implementing microscale heat exchangers are briefly discussed. This is followed by examples that include wearable cooling systems, thermally driven heat pumps, cooling of aircraft carriers, carbon capture and methane gas cleaning using microscale hollow fibers, and the incorporation of microchannel heat exchangers into electrochemical storage systems and nuclear reactor cores.