Flow Boiling Research Articles

Study on Two-Phase Pressure Drop of Methane during Flow Boiling in Mini Channel

For LOX/LCH4 variable thrust rocket engine, the propellant methane is traditionally selected as the coolant in regenerative cooling channel (RCC). With the decrease of engine thrust, the mass flow rate of coolant methane decreases gradually. At low engine thrust, the coolant methane is usually in a subcritical state. The heat transfer deterioration of subcritical methane occurs in RCC, which may cause thrust chamber wall ablation. The two-phase pressure drop data of methane are crucial parameters for the design and optimization of RCC. But it is rarely to find such measured frictional pressure drop data of methane in open published literature. The two-phase pressure drop of methane during flow boiling in the single mini channels with the diameters of 2.0 mm are investigated systematically. Effects of the mass flux (582.19~1755.48 kg/m2·s), inlet pressure (0.56~3.55 MPa), heat flux (53.25~318.68 kW/m2) on the frictional pressure drop of methane are discussed. The results show that the frictional pressure drop of methane during flow boiling increases with mass flux and inlet pressure at the experimental conditions, and heat flux shows weak effect on the frictional pressure drop. The comparisons of the experimental data with the predicted value by existing six correlations are analyzed. Contrary to the conventional channels, homogeneous model yields better prediction than five separated flow models. Present experimental results can provide reference for the design and optimization of RCC in LOX/LCH4 rocket engine.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Flow Boiling in Additive Manufactured Foam Structures With Vapor Pathways

Abstract The unique properties of metal foams make them potential candidates for a range of applications, including microsystem thermal management. Using additive manufacturing to create foam-type structures can improve upon prior thermal solutions by eliminating thermal interface materials and allowing for customization/local control of parameters. In the present investigation, flow boiling in additive-manufactured metal foams is investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two test samples, one with uniform structure and the other with pathways for vapor removal, are compared both experimentally and numerically. A conjugate computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer (CFD-HT) model utilizing a three-dimensional volume of fluid (VOF) model with accompanying evaporation/condensation model provided in-depth visualization of the boiling flow phenomena. The experiments generated the thermohydraulic performance over a range of heat fluxes, demonstrating that the sample incorporating dedicated vapor pathways performed better in both pressure and heat transfer performance metrics compared to the uniform foam. Additionally, negative system-level effects (i.e., hydraulic oscillations) were shown to be abated using the vapor removal structures. The numerical model yielded further insight into the factors contributing to the improved performance. Results indicated the pathways functioned as vapor removal channels, allowing the generated vapor to vent from the foam structure into the lanes. Further computational investigations demonstrated changes in flow regimes, where the addition of vapor channels caused the flow to change from churn to annular. Bubble behavior unique to the vapor pathway structure was studied, showing stagnant regions that eject vapor into the channel.

Development of Two-Phase Frictional Pressure Gradient Correlation for Saturated Cryogenic Flow Boiling in Uniformly Heated Tubes

Experiments to determine two-phase frictional pressure drop for saturated cryogenic flow boiling in uniformly heated round tubes have been performed throughout the globe during the past sixty years for a variety of cryogens. However, the experimental data are scarce and either rarely published or published only for a few cryogens, with majority of the data remaining in the archives of authors, or in obscure technical reports of an organization or other inaccessible sources. In the present study, the Purdue University-Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) Cryogenic Total Pressure Drop Database is consolidated both for saturated adiabatic liquid-vapor and saturated flow boiling for cryogens from world literature dating back to 1964. With 474 total pressure drop data points for LHe, LH2, LNe, and LN2, it represents the largest total pressure drop database for cryogenic saturated two-phase flow assembled to date. Using this database, predictive accuracy of seminal frictional pressure gradient correlations employing both the Homogenous Equilibrium Model (HEM) and the Separated Flow Model (SFM) are assessed. The distinct fluid physics unique to cryogens is studied further using the database and new dimensionless criteria are developed to demarcate a dispersed flow dominant data subset from the separated flow dominant data subset, which are better represented using HEM and SFM, respectively. These criteria are subsequently used to develop a hybrid HEM-SEM frictional pressure gradient correlation for saturated cryogenic flow for the two distinct data subsets. The new hybrid correlation performs the best of all seminal correlations and provides excellent predictive agreement with the database, evidenced by a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 14.7 %.

Flow Fluctuation during Flow Boiling of Binary Mixtures in High Aspect Ratio Microchannel

Flow boiling performance is affected by several factors, such as channel characteristics and working fluid types. It is found that there is still limited study that discusses the use of binary mixtures combined with high aspect ratio microchannels. The aim of this study is to investigate the flow fluctuation during flow boiling of binary mixtures in rectangular microchannels. Here, a 6 mm width and 0.3 mm depth rectangular channel was utilised, and it represents a hydraulic diameter of 571 μm and an aspect ratio of 20. In the present works, a mass flux of 10 kg m-2 s-1 was used, and the heat flux ranged from 15.2 and 21.0 kW m-2. The image processing technique was applied to track the bubble tail movement. In addition, the thermal camera was utilised to gather the wall temperature distribution of the channel. The preliminary results show that the use of binary mixtures influences the vapour fraction in the channel and the flow fluctuation characteristics. Some differences are observed in terms of wall temperature characteristics. However, the rapid increase of wall temperature is found in the outlet region for high flux cases under all liquid types which suggests the dominance of dry out event.

Computational Analysis of Subcooled Flow Boiling in a Vertical Minichannel with Two Different Shapes under Various Mass Fluxes

In the current research project, two-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the effects of geometrical configuration on flow structures and the thermal performances of subcooled flow boiling. The CFD simulations are carried out in two different configurations (straight and periodic constriction expansion) in a minichannel mounted vertically at four mass fluxes (500 kg/m2s; 836.64 kg/m2s; 1170 kg/m2s; and 2535 kg/m2s). The present predicted results exhibit excellent accordance with the previous experiments, with mean errors of 6.39% and 9.78%, demonstrating the efficiency of the present numerical study. The simulation results show that the periodic constriction expansion design provides good mixing between the layers, leading to a 43.11% mean enhancement of the thermal transfer, which is more important than the slight pressure drop penalty of 4.32 for a mass flux of 500 kg/m2s due to the combined pressure drop along the minichannel that resulted from the periodic constriction and expansion regions. Furthermore, the visualization of flow patterns shows that the bubbly flow is the dominant flow regime in the periodic constriction-expansion configuration.

Flow Boiling of Liquid n-Heptane in Microtube with Various Fuel Flow Rate: Experimental and Numerical Study.

The evaporation of liquid hydrocarbon n-heptane is discussed in detail with experimentation and numerical techniques. A maximum wall temperature of 1050 K was reported during an experimental process with a two-phase flow that was stable and had a prominent meniscus at a small fuel flow rate (FFR) ≤ 10 µL/min. At medium to high FFR (30-70 µL/min), the flow field was unstable, with nucleating bubbles and liquid droplets inside the microtube and the maximum temperature recorded was 850 K for 70 µL/min. For the numerical model, the temperature of the wall was used as a boundary condition. Using the numerical model, the evaporative flux at the meniscus, pressure drop, pressure oscillation, and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) were investigated. A single peak in HTC was obtained at a low fuel flow rate, while multiple peaks were obtained for high FFR. At low FFR, the pressure peak was observed to be 102.4 KPa, whereas at high FFR, the pressure peak increased to 105.5 KPa. This shows a 2% increase in pressure peak with an increase in FFR. Similarly, when the FFR increased from 5 µL/min to 70 µL/min, the pressure drop increased from 500 Pa to 2800 Pa. The high amplitude of pressure drops and a high peak of HTC were found, which depend on the mass flow rate. The coefficient of variation for pressure drop depends mainly on the fuel flow rate.

Investigation of Flow Boiling in Micro-Channels: Heat Transfer, Pressure Drop and Evaluation of Existing Correlations

In this study, the flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of refrigerant R134a in micro-channels were experimentally investigated. The tests were performed in circular horizontal micro-channels with inner diameters of 0.5 mm and 1 mm and a heating length of 300 mm. The mass velocities varied from 500 kg/m2s to 2500 kg/m2s, and the heat fluxes varied from 15 kW/m2 to 147 kW/m2. The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and frictional pressure drop (FPD) were measured and discussed in detail. According to the results, HTC was significantly affected by heat flux, whereas it was independent of mass velocity. Nucleate boiling was the dominant heat transfer mechanism for R134a flow boiling in the micro-channels. In comparison to the 1 mm channel, the 0.5 mm channel shows better performance in heat transfer, with a maximum increase of approximately 22 %. In addition, FPD increased with increasing mass velocity and decreasing channel diameter. Finally, several existing correlations for HTC and FPD were evaluated by comparing them with the experimental values. Tran’s correlation (1996) presented a better agreement in terms of the average HTC, while for the FPD, the model of Kim and Mudawar (2013b) showed good prediction accuracy.

Experimental Investigation on the Flow Boiling of Two Microchannel Heat Sinks Connected in Parallel and Series for Cooling of Multiple Heat Sources.

Cooling methods for multiple heat sources with high heat flux have rarely been reported, but such situations threaten the stable operation of electronic devices. Therefore, in this paper, the use of two microchannel heat sinks is proposed, with and without grooves, labeled Type A and Type B, respectively. Experimental investigations on the flow boiling of two microchannel heat sinks connected in parallel and in series are carried out under different mass fluxes. In addition, a high-speed camera is used to observe flow patterns in the microchannels. The cold plate wall temperature (Tw), heat transfer coefficient (HTC), and pressure drop (PD) are obtained with the use of two microchannel heat sinks. The flow patterns of the bubbly flow and elongated bubbles in the microchannels are observed. The results of the analysis indicated that the Tw, HTC, and PD of the two microchannel heat sinks connected in parallel were degraded, especially when using the Type A-B parallel connection. Compared to the use of a single heat sink, the maximum decrease in HTC was 9.44 kW/(m2K) for Type A heat sinks connected in parallel, which represents a decrease of 45.95%. The influence of the series connection on the Tw, HTC, and PD of the two heat sinks is obvious. The Type A-A series connection exerted the greatest positive effect on the performance of the two heat sinks, especially in the case of the postposition heat sink. The maximum increase in HTC was 12.77 kW/(m2K) for the postposition Type A heat sink, representing an increase of 72.88%. These results could provide a reference for a two-phase flow-cooling complex for multiple heat sources with high heat flux.

The Numerical Investigations of Heat Transfer and Bubble Behaviors of R22 in Subcooled Flow Boiling in Casing Tubes

Amidst the background of “double carbon”, energy saving and emission reduction is a popular direction in the current refrigeration industry. Therefore, the research on the boiling heat transfer of gas–liquid two-phase flow is helpful to strengthen the heat transfer and design a more efficient heat exchanger. In this paper, a research method combining numerical simulation and experimental verification is adopted. Firstly, an experimental platform used for the subcooled flow boiling of refrigerant in casing tubes is introduced and experiments are carried out to obtain experimental data, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of numerical simulation and verifies the feasibility of numerical simulation. A numerical model of subcooled flow boiling in R22 was established and the grid independence test was carried out. Based on the simulation results, three factors affecting the boiling heat transfer of R22 are analyzed: First, the boiling heat transfer coefficient of R22 increases with the increase of the mass flow rate of R22, but the increase decreases when the mass flow rate increases from 0.018 kg/s to 0.020 kg/s. Second, the boiling heat transfer coefficient of R22 increases significantly with the increase of hot water flow rate. Third, the influence of R22 subcooling on boiling heat transfer is more complex. When the subcooling is 5 °C and 1 °C, heat transfer can be enhanced; high subcooling at 5 °C can enhance convective heat transfer and low subcooling at 1 °C can accelerate the arrival of saturated boiling. In this paper, three kinds of bubble behaviors affecting heat transfer in supercooled flow boiling, including sliding, polymerization, and bounce are also studied, which provides a basis for further research on heat transfer mechanism of supercooled flow boiling.

Numerical Simulation of Subcooled Flow Boiling in a Threaded Tube and Investigation of Heat Transfer and Bubble Behavior

Three-dimensional subcooled flow boiling of R134a in a threaded tube was numerically simulated at the conditions of 200~400 kW/m2 heat flux, 3~20 K inlet subcooling, and 0.2~0.6 m/s inlet velocity. The bubble behavior in the horizontal threaded tube with 0.581 mm thread tooth height was observed. The effect of heat flux, inlet subcooling, and inlet velocity on bubble departure diameter and heat transfer coefficient were explored. The results presented the whole growth process of five kinds of bubbles. It was found that the bubbles either collapsed in cold liquid after leaving the heating wall or grew along the axial direction and contacted the heating wall. And there was no bubble sliding during the growth. In addition, the most important and special characteristic of bubble behavior in threaded tubes was the phenomenon of the bubble passing through the cavity. The coalescence and breakup behavior occurred after the bubble passed through the cavity. According to the discussions of the departure diameter and heat transfer coefficient, it was inferred that the bubble departure diameter increased with the increase of heat flux from 200~400 kW/m2 and subcooling from 3~20 K while decreasing with the increase of inlet velocity from 0.2~0.6 m/s. And due to the influence of the threaded tube structure, there are special points in the change of bubble departure diameter. The heat transfer coefficient of the bubbles in the threaded tube was higher than the smooth tube, which was increased by 1.5~12.5%. The heat transfer coefficient increased with the increase of heat flux and subcooling and is closely related to the bubble departure diameter.

Experimental and numerical investigations of heat transfer and flow characteristics during flow boiling in straight and diverging PDMS microchannel

Recent trends of miniaturization and densely packed circuits have necessitated the development of novel cooling methods, especially for emerging fields like flexible microelectronics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microchannel flow boiling heat sink can be used for these applications due to its unique properties as such as unique mechanical properties, biocompatibility, optical transparency, etc. PDMS microchannels are fabricated using soft lithography techniques, which involve using a mould to pattern the PDMS material. The mould is created using photolithography, and the PDMS is poured over the mould and cured to create the microchannels. In this study, an effort is made to compare the flow and heat transfer performance of a PDMS microchannel heat sink with different channel shapes, i.e. straight and diverging microchannel heat sinks for different heat flux and mass flux conditions. The PDMS microchannel was fabricated using the soft lithography technique and a flexible laser-induced graphene heater was fabricated and integrated with the developed PDMS microchannel to act as a heat source. Experimentally, the parameters like bubble pattern, pressure drop, exit vapour quality, and corresponding heat transfer coefficient were determined at varying mass and heat flux ranging from 19 to 114 kg m−2s−1 and from 13.3 to 156.6 kW m−2 respectively for both the microchannels. It was observed that the flow in the diverging microchannel is more stable and has a 13% higher heat transfer coefficient value compared to the straight microchannel under similar conditions. Further, a 3D numerical study was carried out to corroborate and elaborate on the results. The heat transfer, flow characteristics, and bubble pattern results show an excellent agreement with experimental results. This work has significant relevance in designing flexible microchannel heat sinks.

Parametric experimental trends, interfacial behavior, correlation assessment, and interfacial lift-off model predictions of critical heat flux for microgravity flow boiling with subcooled inlet conditions – Experiments onboard the International Space Station

This study examines the critical heat flux data obtained during the “Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)” which was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. The overarching goals of FBCE are to obtain flow boiling and flow condensation data in high quality, long-duration microgravity, and investigate gravitational effects on two-phase flow physics. The first stage of FBCE completed features the Flow Boiling Module (FBM), which collected flow boiling heat transfer data and flow visualization images in a highly accurate and steady microgravity environment from February 2022 until July 2022. Flow boiling experiments were performed with subcooled inlet of n-Perfluorohexane in a rectangular channel of dimensions 114.6-mm heated length, 2.5-mm heated width, and 5.0-mm height with either one or two, opposite, heated walls. The long-duration microgravity database encompasses a broad range of operating conditions: mass velocity of 199 – 3200 kg/m2s, inlet subcooling of 2.6 – 45.6°C, and inlet pressure of 124.8 – 176.7 kPa. Image sequences leading up to and at CHF are presented to both illustrate the physical mechanism triggering CHF and explain the experimental trends observed in microgravity. Experimental results show CHF is strongly dependent on mass velocity and higher degrees of inlet subcooling, but less dependent on inlet pressure in the tested ranges. Examination of the relationships and parametric trends between dimensionless groups governing CHF reinforces conventional trends and reveals, for subcooled CHF, a dependence of Boiling number at CHF on outlet thermodynamic equilibrium quality. Comparison of the new microgravity CHF data with Earth-gravity CHF data reveals, for single-sided heating, CHF in microgravity is degraded up to ∼38% at low mass velocity, with diminishing differences as mass velocity is increased, and for double-sided heating, less significant differences in CHF between the two gravitational environments. Experimental data are compared to predictions of various flow boiling CHF correlations which previously demonstrated their merit, and the most suitable one for the entire database is recommended. Flow visualization reveals a wavy vapor layer with wetting fronts described in the Interfacial Lift-off Model, which is used to predict CHF values with good accuracy.

Bubble Sliding Characteristics and Dynamics of R134a during Subcooled Boiling Flow in a Narrow Gap

The numerical method was used to study bubble sliding characteristics and dynamics of R134a during subcooled flow boiling in a narrow gap. In the numerical method, the volume of fraction (VOF) model, level set method, Lee phase change model and the SST k − ω turbulent model were adopted for the construction of the subcooled flow boiling model. In order to explore bubble sliding dynamics during subcooled flow boiling, the bubble sliding model was introduced. The bubble velocity, bubble departure diameter, sliding distance and bubble sliding dynamics were investigated at 0.2 to 5 m/s inlet velocities. The simulation results showed that the bubble velocity at the flow direction was the most important contribution to bubble velocity. Additionally, the bubble velocity of 12 bubbles mostly oscillated with time during the sliding process at 0.2 to 0.6 m/s inlet velocities, while the bubble velocity increased during the sliding process due to the bubble having had a certain inertia at 2 to 5 m/s inlet velocities. It was also found that the average bubble velocity in flow direction accounted for about 80% of the mainstream velocities at 0.2 to 5 m/s. In the investigation of bubble sliding distance and departure diameter, it was concluded that the ratio of the maximum sliding distance to the minimum sliding distance was close to two at inlet velocities of 0.3 to 5 m/s. Moreover, with increasing inlet velocity, the average sliding distance increased significantly. The average bubble departure diameter obviously increased from 0.2 to 0.5 m/s inlet velocity and greatly reduced after 0.6 m/s. Finally, the investigations of the bubble sliding dynamics showed that the surface tension dominated the bubble sliding process at 0.2 to 0.6 m/s inlet velocities. However, the drag force dominated the bubble sliding process at 2 to 5 m/s inlet velocities.

Two-Phase Flow Boiling of Nanofluids in Mini- and Microchannels

Two-Phase Flow Boiling of Nanofluids in Mini- and Microchannels

Heat transfer and interfacial flow physics of microgravity flow boiling in single-side-heated rectangular channel with subcooled inlet conditions – Experiments onboard the International Space Station

This study is the culmination of a long-term collaborative effort between researchers from the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) and the NASA Glenn Research Center to investigate gravitational effects on flow boiling and flow condensation. The science and design concepts for this large-scale effort were initiated in 2011 and included several studies detailing various aspects of two-phase fluid physics in both Earth gravity and microgravity, culminating in construction of the large-scale experimental facility named “Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)”. The experiment was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. Following the successful installation of FBCE, equipped with the Flow Boiling Module (FBM), onboard the ISS and completion of several safety checks, flow boiling experiments were performed for five months from February 2022 until July 2022. This resulted in a large flow boiling database covering broad ranges of operating parameters and heating configurations spanning several research objectives. This study investigates microgravity flow boiling of n-perfluorohexane with subcooled inlet in a single-side-heated rectangular channel of dimensions 114.6-mm heated length, 2.5-mm heated width, and 5.0-mm height. Key operating parameters investigated are mass velocity (199.90 – 3200.13 kg/m2s), inlet subcooling (0.10 – 45.76°C), and inlet pressure (113.30 – 164.29 kPa). Images and image sequences acquired via high-speed-video are presented to elucidate the interfacial flow physics. To analyze and explain the effects of various parameters in microgravity, heat transfer results are presented as flow boiling curves, streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient, and parametric trends of local and averaged heat transfer coefficient. Mass velocity and inlet subcooling significantly influenced most of the aforementioned aspects of flow boiling, whereas effects of inlet pressure were comparatively insignificant. Although the data and observed flow physics might be different, the parametric effects and trends in microgravity are similar to vertical upflow in Earth gravity. Some cases, especially low mass velocities, high heat fluxes, and large degrees of inlet subcooling, experienced temporally anomalous flow behaviors caused by two-phase flow instabilities manifesting as flow reversals and resulted in deviations in overall trends. Severe thermodynamic non-equilibrium is observed throughout the channel. Overall, FBCE's ISS experiments were successful for subcooled inlet with single-sided heating of rectangular channel, and the collected data well established the various effects on flow boiling physics in highly controlled long-term microgravity conditions.

Entropy Generation of Two-Phase Flow Boiling in Elliptical U-Bend Tube Heat Exchanger

In this research paper, the entropy generation was used as a criterion to measure the quality level of energy transfer for two-phase flow boiling of R134a in the elliptical U-bend tube. The eccentricities of the elliptical cross-section ranging from 0 to 0.904, were constrained to the same hydraulic diameter of 8 mm. The input parameters utilized in the numerical computations were mass velocities of 100 and 200 kg/m2 s for the inlet vapor qualities of 0.1 and 0.2 and a constant uniform heat flux of 10 kW/m2 imposed on the outer surface of the tube. The calculations were performed using the volume of fluid multiphase model coupled with the phase change model. The findings demonstrated that when the eccentricity of the U-bend tube increases, the quality of energy transfer in the heat exchanger improves as entropy generation reduces. The numerical calculations were validated and found to be consistent with what has been published in the open literature. The results of this paper are important for the development of heat exchangers for air conditioners and refrigerators.

Numerical Study of Flow Boiling of ADN-Based Liquid Propellant in a Capillary

During the operation of ADN (ammonium dinitramide, (NH4+N(NO2)2-))-based thrusters, the ADN-based liquid propellant, a non-toxic green energetic material, tends to flow boil in the capillary tube due to heat transfer from the wall. A three-dimensional transient numerical simulation of the flow boiling of ADN-based liquid propellant in the capillary tube was carried out using the VOF (Volume of Fluid) coupled Lee model. The flow-solid temperature and the gas-liquid two-phase distribution and the wall heat flux at different heat reflux temperatures were analyzed. The results show that the magnitude of the mass transfer coefficient of the Lee model significantly influences the gas-liquid distribution in the capillary tube. The total bubble volume increased from 0 mm3 to 957.4 mm3 when the heat reflux temperature was increased from 400 K to 800 K. The bubble formation position moves upwards along the inner wall surface of the capillary tube. Increasing the heat reflux temperature intensifies the boiling phenomenon. When the outlet temperature exceeded 700 K, the transient liquid mass flow rate in the capillary tube was already reduced by more than 50%. The results of the study can be used as a reference for the design of ADN-based thruster.

Euler–Euler Multi-Scale Simulations of Internal Boiling Flow with Conjugated Heat Transfer

A numerical approach was implemented, to study a boiling flow in a horizontal serpentine tube. A NEPTUNE_CFD two-fluid model was used, to study the behavior of the refrigerant R141b in diabatic cases. The model was based on the Euler–Euler formalism of the Navier–Stokes equations, in which governing equations are solved for both phases of the fluid at each time step. The conjugate heat transfer—between the tube wall and the fluid—was considered via a coupling with the SYRTHES 4.3 software, which solves solid conduction in three dimensions. A mesh convergence study was carried out, which found that a resolution of 40 meshes per diameter was necessary for our case. The approach was validated by comparison with an experimental study of the literature, based on the faithful reproduction of the positions of two-phase flow regime transitions in the domain. Original post-processing was used, to unravel the flow characteristics. The mean and RMS fields of void fraction, temperatures and stream wise velocities in several sections were analyzed, when statistical convergence was reached. A thermal equilibrium was reached in the saturated liquid, but not in the vapor phase, due to the flow dynamic and possibly the presence of droplets. Finally, a thermal analysis of the configuration was proposed. It demonstrated the strong coupling between the temperature distribution in the solid, and the two-phase flow regimes at stake in the fluid domain.

Flow Boiling in Flexible Polymer Microgaps for Embedded Cooling in High-Power Applications

Abstract Structural flexibility has become a common feature in emerging microsystems with increasing heat fluxes. The thermal control of such applications is a significant challenge because of both structural and volumetric requirements, where standard cooling solutions are not applicable. Flexible polymer microlayers are a promising solution for the embedded cooling of such microsystems. In the present investigation, a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microgap is proposed and assessed in an effort to prove its viability for thermal management in the aforementioned applications. The analyzed polymer microgap features a dedicated vapor pathway design which is proven to assist in the efficient removal of vapor from the microsystem. The dielectric refrigerant HFE-7100 is used as the working fluid under flow boiling conditions, reporting on the two-phase flow regime, heat transfer, and pressure drop. In addition to experimental results, the numerical modeling of the relevant features of flow boiling is explored with the use of a mechanistic phase-change model that is proven to accurately predict the flow variables and constitutes a valuable tool in the analysis and design of such microsystems. The results from this study demonstrate that this approach is feasible for the removal of relatively high heat fluxes which are comparable to metallic-based or silicon microchannels, with the added advantage of structural flexibility while also providing a stable two-phase cooling mechanism.

Performance Comparison of ANN-Based Model and Empirical Correlations for Void Fraction Prediction of Subcooled Boiling Flow in Vertical Upward Channel

The accurate prediction of void fraction parameter in subcooled boiling flow is very important for nuclear safety since it has significant influences on the mass flow rate, the onset of two-phase flow instability, and the heat transfer characteristics in a nuclear reactor core. Many different models and empirical correlations have been established over a variety of input conditions; however, this classical approach could lead to unsatisfactory prediction due to the uncertainties of model parameter and model forms. To cope with these limitations, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a powerful machine learning tool for modeling and solving non-linear and complicated physical problems. Therefore, this work is aim at developing an ANN-based model to predict the local void fraction of subcooled boiling flows. The comparison results of the performance between the ANN-based model and empirical correlations for the void fraction prediction of subcooled boiling in vertical upward channel showed the potential use of ANN-based model in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes to accurately simulate the subcooled boiling phenomena.