Flow Boiling Heat Transfer in A Minichannel with Enhanced Heating Surface

Abstract

This paper presents the results of flow boiling in a 1.0-mm-deep minichannel with asymmetrical heating. The heating element for the working fluid (FC-72) is a single-sided enhanced alloy foil made from Haynes-230. Two types of enhanced heating surfaces, prepared by laser texturing and with microrecesses varied in terms of size, were used for investigations. The experimental research focused on the transition from single-phase forced convection to nucleate boiling, that is, the zone of boiling incipience and further development of boiling. Flow structure was observed through a glass pane. Owing to the liquid crystal layer placed on the opposite side of the enhanced foil surface, it was possible to observe the onset of flow boiling (as a “boiling front”) and to measure temperature distribution on the heating wall through another glass pane. The objective of the study is to determine void fractions for increasing heat fluxes supplied to the heating surface. The flow structure photos were processed in Corel graphics software and binarized. The analysis of phase volumes was developed in Techsystem Globe and NIS-Elements Advanced Research software. The results of experiments with both types of enhanced heating foil were compared.