High Temperature Hot Spots Research Articles

Micro-Channel Cooling of Hot Spots Through Non-Uniform Aspect Ratio Designs

Abstract Electronic devices experience spatial variation in power dissipation, which results in high-temperature hot spots. These locations require aggressive thermal management, which can be complex and costly. Simple solutions such as single-phase micro-channels can provide adequate heat transfer, but they are not designed to control heat transfer locally. However, micro-channels can be tailored to control local flow rates and heat transfer, potentially mitigating hot spot temperatures. Using a conductive and convective resistance network for a micro-channel, an analytical model is generated for heat transfer within an individual passage. For a given channel width, this model relates the channel depth to its resistance through a power law. Over a wide range of heat fluxes, the optimal design balances local temperatures to within 3 K. The analytical model is validated using computational simulations of the optimized heat sink. For a randomly-generated, non-uniform power distribution, device temperatures are balanced with a sample standard deviation below 2.5%, which is significantly better than a baseline design. When heat spreading is incorporated, the temperature increase is smaller but remains uniform, indicating that the hot spots can be mitigated.

Sonochemical decomposition effects of nickelocene aiming for low-temperature and dispersant-free synthesis of nickel fine particle

Sonochemical decomposition effects of nickelocene, which sublimates easily were investigated to synthesize dispersant-free nickel fine particles at low temperature. In a hydrazine monohydrate and 2-propanol mixed solvent, the reduction of nickelocene was promoted by ultrasound irradiation, and nickel fine particles were synthesized while precluding the sublimation of nickelocene. Unlike the common hydrazine reduction of nickel salts, which requires multiple-step reactions, nickelocene was reduced directly without forming intermediates. The effect of the water-bath temperature (20–60 °C) was investigated, where larger fine particles were synthesized using a higher water-bath temperature (60 °C). When irradiated at 20 °C, the reduction rate of nickelocene was low, leading to the formation of nickel fine particles and organic nanoparticles via the reduction and decomposition of nickelocene. The ultrasound frequency was also investigated, where fine nickel particles were synthesized using low-frequency ultrasound irradiation. The formation of high-temperature hotspots led to the diffusion and growth of nickel on the surface of the nickel fine particles; therefore, raspberry-like nickel fine particles were synthesized. In this study, the difficult-to-handle nature of nickelocene, owing to its sublimation properties, was easily overcome by ultrasound irradiation. Instantaneous and localized reactions at hotspots contributed to inhibiting particle growth. Furthermore, Ni fine particles were synthesized via a direct reduction pathway, which differs from previous reactions. This method represents a new, dispersant-free, low-temperature process for synthesizing Ni fine particles.

The History of Eruptions at Acala Fluctus, Io: Source of Multiple Outbursts

Recent ground-based Infrared Telescope Facility observations showed that a hot spot observed at the location of the surface feature Acala Fluctus was volcanically active for ∼18 months in 2019–2020 and exhibited two outbursts with a temperature of ∼1200 K. A high-temperature hot spot at Acala was also observed by Galileo SSI in the late 1990s over multiple flybys. Low-temperature hot spots in this area were detected in 2000 by the Galileo Photopolarimeter Radiometer and in 1979 by Voyager IRIS. However, neither the Galileo NIMS instrument nor any instrument on the New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Io in 2007, saw any evidence of an Acala hot spot. It is also possible that earlier ground-based disk-integrated observations of hot spots are due to Acala, even though they were originally attributed to other volcanoes, such as Loki. These include outbursts in 1978 and 1990 and a persistent low-temperature source in the 1980 and 1990s. From these observations, we propose that Acala consists of highly variable high-temperature fire fountains and a large area of low-temperature, older flows. Due to these recent outbursts, we expect that any images of Acala obtained by JunoCam will show surface changes from Galileo images.

Analysis of Hydrogen Combustion in a Spark Ignition Research Engine with a Barrier Discharge Igniter

Hydrogen fuel is gaining particular attention in internal combustion engines. In addition to zero-carbon emissions, major advantages relate to its combustion characteristics, which allow a significant increase in thermal efficiency under ultra-lean operation and with very low NOx levels. The ignition system is one of the main technology enablers, as it determines the capability to control ultra-lean operations, avoid backfire phenomena, and/or reduce the risks of abnormal combustions. The latter results from hydrogen’s low ignition energy and it is associated with factors like high-temperature residuals, hot spots, and irregular spark plug discharge. The ACIS gen 2-Barrier Discharge Igniter excels in accelerating the initial flame growth speed by the generation of non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma, a strong ignition promoter for the combined action of kinetic and thermal effects. Moreover, its volumetric discharge facilitates combustion initiation on a wide region, in contrast to the localized ignition of traditional spark systems. In this work we present for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, experimental results showing the performance of a hydrogen engine with a low-temperature plasma discharge. Tests were conducted on a single-cylinder research engine, achieving ultra-lean conditions with cycle-to-cycle variability results below 2.5%. The analysis indicates that the H2-BDI combined solution is capable of accelerating the evolution of the flame front compared to traditional spark plugs, leading to a significant reduction in the cycle-to-cycle variability. A meticulous adjustment of the BDI control parameters further enhances igniter performance and contributes to a deeper understanding of the innovative approach proposed in this study.

Numerical Heat Transfer Simulation of Oil Shale Large-Size Downhole Heater

Downhole heaters are critical for effectively achieving in situ oil shale cracking. In this study, we simulate the heat transfer performance of a large-scale helical baffle downhole heater under various operational conditions. The findings indicate that at 160 m3/h and 6 kW the outlet temperature can reach 280 °C. Controlling heating power or increasing the injected gas flow effectively mitigates heat accumulation on the heating rod’s surface. The outlet temperature curve exhibits two phases. Simultaneously, a balance in energy exchange between the injected gas and heating power occurs, mitigating high-temperature hotspots. Consequently, the outlet temperature cannot attain the theoretical maximum temperature, referred to as the actual maximum temperature. Employing h/∆p13 as the indicator to evaluate heat transfer performance, optimal performance occurs at 100 m3/h. Heat transfer performance at 200 m3/h is significantly impacted by heating power, with the former being approximately 6% superior to the latter. Additionally, heat transfer performance is most stable below 160 m3/h. The gas heating process is categorized into three stages based on temperature distribution characteristics within the heater: rapid warming, stable warming, and excessive heating. The simulation findings suggest that the large-size heater can inject a higher flow rate of heat-carrying gas into the subsurface, enabling efficient oil shale in situ cracking.

Analysis on Effects of Material Parameters on Thermoelastic Instability of Separate Plate in Wet Clutch

Abstract The working characteristics of wet clutches have an important impact on the safety performance of vehicles. In order to obtain the thermoelastic instability characteristics of wet clutch separate plate, a finite element modeling method is proposed. The temperature field calculation model of separate plate and its thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling relationship are constructed. The distribution law of high-temperature hot spots on the surface of separate plate is obtained and the thermoelastic instability mechanism is revealed. Effectiveness of the simulation model is verified by road test, and surface topography of separate plate is observed by scanning electron microscope. A thermoelastic instability calculation model considering different material parameters is established. The temperature field distribution law is reviewed under different elastic moduli, specific heat capacities, thermal conductivities, and thermal expansion coefficients. Results show that increasing the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the separate plate, decreasing the elastic modulus and thermal expansion coefficient can improve the stability of the system. The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient have important effects on the thermoelastic instability. The specific heat capacity has a certain effect, and the elastic modulus’ effect is the least. The research results of this paper can provide theoretical support for optimizing the structure of wet clutch and improving the stability of the system.

Analysis of the thermal insulation performance of turbine blade thermal barrier coatings considering inlet non-uniformity

The gases discharged from the new generation of lean-burn combustors usually have hot streaks (HS) and swirls. The thermal performance of rotor thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) exhibits significant non-constant behavior due to inlet non-uniformity and blade row interaction. To investigate the non-constant thermal insulation performance of the blade TBCs, non-constant numerical simulations were carried out for the first stage vane and blade of the High-pressure turbine of the GE-E3 engine. The normalized temperature results for the HS and the combination of HS and swirl cases were compared with the uniform inlet case to investigate the effect of inlet non-uniformity on the surface temperature and thermal insulation effect of the blade TBCs. The results show that a credible investigation of rotor TBCs should consider the unsteady blade row interaction. HS causes high-temperature hot spots on the surface of the TBCs and redistributes them with the change in the direction of the swirl. HS and swirl significantly reduce the turbine blade cooling effectiveness and thermal insulation effectiveness of TBCs. The lowest overall cooling performance of the blades was observed during the 1/4 T stator period. The added swirl reduces the insulation effectiveness's fluctuation value by reducing positive swirl (PSW) by 52.6 % and negative swirl (NSW) by 57.8 %. Therefore, applications and designs of TBCs should consider the effects of HS and swirl.

Enhancing vanadium extraction from shale by microwave irradiation for VBS grindability improvement: Hot spots and thermal stress

The effect of microwave pretreatment in improving the grindability of vanadium shale was investigated by experimental and COMSOL simulation methods. The microwave pretreatment led to shortening of the grinding time by 33.33 %, an increase in the vanadium recovery by 16.42 %, and a reduction in the grinding power consumption by 31.06 %. COMSOL simulation results demonstrated that when vanadium shale particles contact each other, electric field polarization occurred, producing a high-temperature hot spot of 2000–5000 °C and a temperature difference of 500–1500 °C between the hot spot and other areas of the vanadium shale particles. The large temperature difference generated a thermal stress of 0.98–1.86 GPa on the particles, thus damaging the mineral structure and increasing their grindability. Simultaneously, owing to variation in the dielectric properties, the heating rates of different mineral components in a single particle were different, leading to a temperature difference of 800–2000 °C and a thermal stress of 4.87–78.5 GPa, which cracked the mineral components. These results set the stage for the practical application of microwave-assisted grinding for the extraction of vanadium from shale.

A design of laser pyrotechnic device based on fiber laser detonation

In order to meet the application requirements of high performance, high safety and high reliability of laser explosives in future weapons and equipment, this paper tries to solve the problem of interaction reliability between laser and energetic materials, and studies the interaction law between fiber laser and energetic materials with high beam quality. The principle prototype of all-fiber laser ignition with high beam quality is developed. The interaction between high beam quality pulsed laser and energetic materials was studied. Fast and efficient ignition of pulsed fiber laser based on high beam quality is realized. Compared with semiconductor laser, the output brightness of fiber laser is high and the light energy is concentrated under the condition of the same output power, which is conducive to the instantaneous generation of high temperature hot spot when interacting with the agent, which can effectively improve the ignition efficiency. And the photoelectric conversion efficiency is high, can effectively reduce the energy supply. It is an ideal pyrotechnic device which can improve the safety of weapons and equipment in modern war.

Microwave heating of iron-rich Enteromorpha for Fe single-atom catalysts for the activation of peroxymonosulfate: Mechanisms and structure–activity relationships

To address the defects of uneven sites, atom aggregation, and poor pore structures of single-atom catalysts (SACs) prepared by conventional heating, this study prepared high-performance Fe SACs (Fe-NC) by microwave heating using Enteromorpha rich in iron and nitrogen as the precursor. The as-prepared catalysts were used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of chloroquine phosphate (CQP). The results showed that hierarchical porous Fe-NCs with abundant surface functional groups, defective structures, and large specific surface area (SSA) were obtained by microwave heating by providing high-temperature hotspots. When using the catalyst (Fe-NC-800-15) prepared by microwave heating, the rates of PMS activation and CQP degradation were 74.48% and 99.76%, respectively, which were 8.84% and 55.65% higher than when using the catalyst prepared by conventional heating. Stronger signals of SO4·-, ·OH, 1O2, and ·O2–, lower interface resistance, and better electron transfer ability were the main reasons for better performance of the Fe-NC-800-15/PMS/CQP system. Quenching experiments showed that 1O2 and electron transfer were the dominant pathways for the degradation of CQP in the Fe-NC-800-15/PMS/CQP system. After 5 cycles of use, the degradation rate of CQP decreased to 63.37%. The deactivation of the catalyst was mainly caused by the slow circulation of Fe3+/Fe2+, loss of graphitic N, Fe leaching, reduction of defect degree and SSA, and consumption of OH/COOH and C≡N in the catalyst.

Hot Spot Cause Analysis and Shaping Optimization Design of the Monoblock Divertor Target Plate in EAST

The monoblock divertor target plate (MDTP) is a mainstream divertor target plate. MDTP was installed in EAST and in WEST and will be used in ITER. Local high-temperature hot spots (HS) were observed on MDTP during a plasma experiment. HS will reduce the lifetime of MDTP. In this paper, the causes of HS on MDTP are determined through theoretical analysis and are verified by numerical simulations. The HS on MDTP seem to be caused by small high-density heat load areas on the toroidal and poloidal direction surfaces facing the incident direction of the plasma strike line (PSL) of the MDTP tungsten block. When toroidal HS and poloidal HS appear simultaneously, a super local high-temperature HS will be formed at the corner (facing the incident direction of PSL) of the MDTP tungsten block. The HS on MDTP can be eliminated by optimizing the geometry of the MDTP tungsten block, when the plasma configuration is determined. A method and the scope of application of the method, which can be used for tungsten block geometry optimization, are given in this paper. In order to facilitate the selection of a divertor configuration, the heat flux–carrying performance of the optimized MDTP was evaluated. In order to attain a maximum temperature within MDTP of less than 900 K, it was found that if the poloidal incidence angle between PSL and MDTP can be stably controlled as 5 deg (or 35 deg), MDTP can directly withstand PSL with a peak heat flux density of no more than 90 (or 40 ).

Simulation Study on Thermal Wake Characteristics of Underwater Vehicle under Rotary Motion

The high temperature cooling water generated by the power system of underwater vehicle is discharged through the discharge port and mixed with seawater to form a thermal wake, whose thermal characteristics can be easily detected by infrared submersible technology. In order to explore the characteristics of the thermal wake of the underwater vehicle when it rotates in fresh water, this paper uses the finite volume method to establish a three-dimensional scaled SUBOFF mathematical model, and then combines the overlapping grid technology to numerically simulate the rotation of the underwater vehicle in the background waters. The thermal wake experimental platform is established to verify the reliability of the numerical simulation method by comparing the direct flight experiment with the simulation results. The near-field cooling water trajectory and far-field wake spatial evolution behind the rotary body are analyzed, and the abnormal characteristics of water surface temperature are obtained. The results show that the thermal wakes on the turning side and the deviation side are greatly affected by the vortex caused by the body, and have great differences in morphology, motion trajectory and temperature characteristics. When the thermal wakes on both sides rise to the water surface, an arc-shaped water surface temperature anomaly area composed of two high-temperature hot spots is formed.

Reconstruction of interfacial thermal transport mediated by hotspot in silicon-based nano-transistors

Transistors are typical multi-interface nanostructures, and the heat dissipation problem has become the bottleneck restricting size reduction and performance improvement of semiconductor devices. Local high-temperature hotspot generated by self-heating effects seriously affects the stability and reliability of the devices, and the interfaces further hinder the heat conduction. Thermal analysis is complicated by subcontinuum phenomena which reshapes the hotspot region and interface-mediating. There has been less description of device thermal transport mediated by hotspot coupling with the interfaces. In this paper, based on the phonon BTE (pBTE) thermal solver and electronic Monte Carlo (e-MC) simulation, we systematically study the thermal transport behavior of 1-D Si transistor and Si-based heterojunction interfaces under the hotspot effect. Also, the influence of other scattering events is investigated by modifying the relaxation time. Inside hard hotspot, the temperature and heat flux of different phonon modes are decomposed, which shows a strong non-equilibrium effect. The contributions of non-Fourier effects are separated and quantified based on split-flux model. In heterojunction structure, the interfacial thermal resistance further increases the hotspot temperature. Interestingly, on the side of hotspot near the interface, the direction of heat flux is opposite to the direction of the temperature drop, which violates Fourier's law. Through different substrate combinations, the heat dissipation effect of diamond, BN is not excellent due to the low interfacial thermal conductance (ITC), time-dependent BTE is used to study the heating rate. Mode-dependent temperature and heat flux reveal nonequilibrium phonon transport performance. Finally, the wave-resolved spectral heat flux is calculated to explore the predominant thermal transport channel and interface phonon transport characters. Above studies provide useful insights for further improving the accuracy of transistor-level thermal simulations.

Hot spot ignition and growth from tandem micro-scale simulations and experiments on plastic-bonded explosives

Head-to-head comparisons of multiple experimental observations and numerical simulations on a deconstructed plastic-bonded explosive consisting of an octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine crystal embedded in a polymeric binder with a 4 ns duration 20 GPa input shock are presented. Hot spots observed in high-resolution direct numerical simulations are compared with micro-scale shock-induced reactions visualized using nanosecond microscope imaging and optical pyrometry. Despite the challenges and limitations of both the experimental and simulation techniques, an agreement is obtained on many of the observed features of hot spot evolution, e.g., (1) the magnitude and time variation of temperatures in the hot spots, (2) the time to fully consume the crystals (∼100 ns) of size (100–300 μm) employed in this study, and (3) the locations of hot spot initiation and growth. Three different mechanisms of hot spot formation are indicated by simulations: (1) high-temperature hot spots formed by pore collapse, (2) lower temperature hot spots initiated at the polymer–crystal interface near corners and asperities, and (3) high-temperature reaction waves leading to fast consumption of the energetic crystal. This first attempt at a head-to-head comparison between experiments and simulations not only provides new insight but also highlights efforts needed to bring models and experiments into closer alignment, in particular, highlighting the importance of distinctly three-dimensional and multiple mechanisms of the hot spot ignition and growth.

A 3D Transient CFD Simulation of a Multi-Tubular Reactor for Power to Gas Applications

A 3D stationary CFD study was conducted in our previous work, resulting in a novel reactor design methodology oriented to upgrading biogas through CO2 methanation. To enhance our design methodology incorporating relevant power to gas operational conditions, a novel transient 3D CFD modelling methodology is employed to simulate the effect of relevant dynamic disruptions on the behaviour of a tubular fixed bed reactor for biogas upgrading. Unlike 1D/2D models, this contribution implements a full 3D shell cooled methanation reactor considering real-world operational conditions. The reactor’s behaviour was analysed considering the hot-spot temperature and the outlet CH4 mole fraction as the main performance parameters. The reactor start-up and shutdown times were estimated at 330 s and 130 s, respectively. As expected, inlet feed and temperature disruptions prompted “wrong-way” behaviours. A 30 s H2 feed interruption gave rise to a transient low-temperature hot spot, which dissipated after 60 s H2 feed was resumed. A 20 K rise in the inlet temperature (523–543 K) triggered a transient low-temperature hot spot (879 to 850 K). On the contrary, a 20 K inlet temperature drop resulted in a transient high-temperature hot spot (879 to 923 K), which exposed the catalyst to its maximum operational temperature. The maximum idle time, which allowed for a warm start of the reactor, was estimated at three hours in the absence of heat sources. No significant impacts were found on the product gas quality (% CH4) under the considered disruptions. Unlike typical 1D/2D simulation works, a 3D model allowed to identify the relevant design issues like the impact of hot-spot displacement on the reactor cooling efficiency.

Large eddy simulation of separated flow to investigate heat transfer characteristics in an asymmetric diffuser subjected to constant wall heat flux

In the present study, heat transfer characteristics of an asymmetric diffuser with separated flow has been studied. The flow separation is triggered due to wall expansion in two directions. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach is adopted to solve the turbulent separated flow and heat transfer in such diffuser at Reynolds number of 10000. For this purpose, a finite volume solver is extended in the OpenFOAM framework to solve the energy equation for incompressible flow. The extended solver has been adjusted to deal with backscatter phenomena and to prevent non-physical heat transfer results and numerical instability. An appropriate grid resolution is employed to perform LES calculations and predict the characteristics of the heat transfer within the separated flow. The numerical results are validated against measurements and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) results. The present study showed that the low mean velocity and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in a separated flow region are responsible for generating high temperature hot spots resulted from significant reduction of heat transfer from the walls. It has been observed that the heat transfer from the wall is increased slightly before the flow re-attachment region. The applicability of the Reynolds analogy in the separated flow zone for this problem has been examined. Moreover, the analysis of the computational performance showed that increasing the number of computational cells can improve, to certain extent, the convergence rate of the solver and therefor, reduced the computation cost.

Fine-Scale Urban Heat Patterns in New York City Measured by ASTER Satellite—The Role of Complex Spatial Structures

Urban areas have very complex spatial structures. These spatial structures are primarily composed of a complex network of built environments, which evolve rapidly as the cities expand to meet the growing population’s demand and economic development. Therefore, studying the impact of spatial structures on urban heat patterns is extremely important for sustainable urban planning and growth. We investigated the relationship between surface temperature obtained by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER, at 90 m spatial resolution) and different urban components based on high-resolution QuickBird satellite imagery classification. We further investigated the relationships between ASTER-derived surface temperature and building footprint and land use information acquired by the New York City (NYC) Department of City Planning. The ASTER image reveals fine-scale urban heat patterns in the NYC metropolitan region. The impervious-medium and dark surfaces, along with bright covers, generate higher surface temperatures. Even with highly reflective urban surfaces, the presence of impervious materials leads to an increased surface temperature. At the same time, trees and shadows cast by buildings effectively reduce urban heat; on the contrary, grassland does not reduce or amplify urban heat. The data aggregated to the census tract reveals high-temperature hotspots in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx region of NYC. These clusters are associated with industrial and manufacturing areas and multi-family walk-up buildings as dominant land use. The census tracts with more trees and higher building height variability showed cooling effects, consistent with shadows cast by high-rise buildings and trees. The results of this study can be valuable for urban heat island modeling on the impact of shadow generated by building heights variability and trees on small-scale surface temperature patterns since recent image reveals similar hotspot locations. This study further helps identify the risk areas to protect public health.

Investigation of local hot spots in sealing rings with different sealing materials

The local high temperature in the sealing pair is prone to cause local wear, which easily leads to seal failure. In this paper, a numerical method based on the finite element method is proposed to investigate the local high-temperature hot spot in a sealing ring with different sealing materials. The distribution of hot spots on the sealing surface is visualized by numerical computations. The critical speeds of the hot spot for the metal, composite, and powder metallurgical sealing materials are obtained under different friction coefficients. Based on the obtained results, the quantitative correlation between the critical speed of the hot spot and elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, thermal expansion coefficient, and seal sizes is determined. Then, a test method is designed to evaluate the thermal instability of the sealing ring. Scanning electron microscopy is utilized to examine the surface morphology of the sealing rings after the hot spots appear. The results of the present study demonstrate that the proposed method is consistent with the experiment. It indicates the effectiveness of the simulation method for investigating local hot spots in the sealing ring.

A 3D Plasmonic Antenna-Reactor for Nanoscale Thermal Hotspots and Gradients.

Plasmonic nanoantennas focus light below the diffraction limit, creating strong field enhancements, typically within a nanoscale junction. Placing a nanostructure within the junction can greatly enhance the nanostructure's innate optical absorption, resulting in intense photothermal heating that could ultimately compromise both the nanostructure and the nanoantenna. Here, we demonstrate a three-dimensional "antenna-reactor" geometry that results in large nanoscale thermal gradients, inducing large local temperature increases in the confined nanostructure reactor while minimizing the temperature increase of the surrounding antenna. The nanostructure is supported on an insulating substrate within the antenna gap, while the antenna maintains direct contact with an underlying thermal conductor. Elevated local temperatures are quantified, and high local temperature gradients that thermally reshape only the internal reactor element within each antenna-reactor structure are observed. We also show that high local temperature increases of nominally 200 °C are achievable within antenna-reactors patterned into large extended arrays. This simple strategy can facilitate standoff optical generation of high-temperature hotspots, which may be useful in applications such as small-volume, high-throughput chemical processes, where reaction efficiencies depend exponentially on local temperature.

Experimental Validation of a New Design Concept for the Increase of Efficiency of the Hydraulic Drive System in Mobile Working Machines

In mobile working machines like excavators, hydraulic actuators and drives are indispensable due to their advantages of a high power to weight ratio, robustness and the good power transmission over medium distances by the hydraulic fluid. Axial piston machines can deliver a large volume flow at a high operation pressure with high efficiency and are therefore widely used as system pump or drive motor. The three essential tribological contacts piston / bushing, sliding shoe / swash plate and valve plate / cylinder block strongly influence the machine’s efficiency and so the complete drive system. The paper on hand focuses on the experimental validation of a new design concept to increase the efficiency of the tribological contact between valve plate and cylinder block in an axial piston pump. Due to the different pressure forces at the high- and low-pressure side, the cylinder block tilts and holds this preferred position almost constant. Therefore, the gap height is not constant. In the area of minimum gap height, the danger of solid body contact increases. In addition, the heat dissipation is decreased, which can lead to local constant high temperature hot-spots. Both can destroy the surface structure or the coating. A new design concept has been developed to reduce these risks, thus increasing the efficiency, the lifetime and making it possible to dispense of leaded coating materials. In this design concept, pressure pockets are added in the area of minimum gap height. The simulation study shows a high potential of this concept. The experimental results of the prototype parts, which are measured on a special test rig and presented in this paper, confirm the simulations and validate the potential of the new design concept in this way.