Wall Superheat Research Articles

Effects of Pressure, Surfactant Concentration, and Heat Flux on Pool Boiling Using Expanding Microchanneled Surface for Two-Phase Immersion Cooling

Deionized water is replacing fluorinated liquids as the preferred choice for two-phase immersion cooling in data centers. Yet, insufficient bubble removal capability at low saturated pressure is a key challenge hindering the widespread application. To solve this issue, this study employs non-ionic surfactant (Tween 20) and asymmetric structures (expanding microchannel) to enhance the boiling performances of deionized water under sub-atmospheric pressure. The research examines the effects of pressure (8.8~38.5 kPa), surfactant concentration (0.1~0.5 mL/L), and heat flux density (10~180 W/cm2) on the boiling heat transfer characteristics and analyzes the mechanism of unusual temperature oscillations induced by surfactants. It was found that the trade-off between the sub-atmospheric pressure, surface tension coefficient, and reduced static contact angle results in pronounced intermittent boiling on the heated surface. Even with the addition of surfactants, the improvement in heat transfer requires demanding conditions. Boiling enhancement throughout all heat flux conditions was achieved when the surfactant concentration was higher than 0.2 mL/L for the expanding microchanneled surface. The heat transfer coefficient reached 6.89 W·cm−2·K−1 under 8.8 kPa, which was 45% higher than without the surfactant. Under the same heat flux and sub-atmospheric pressure, as the concentration increased from 0.1 to 0.5 mL/L, the amplitudes of temperature fluctuation of the plane surface and expanding microchanneled surface decreased from 10 K to 2 K and 18 K to 1 K, respectively. The onset of nucleate boiling and wall superheat of the expanding microchanneled surface gradually decreased with the increase in surfactant concentration, where the onset of nucleate boiling decreased by 10.54 K. When the heat flux is 160 W/cm2, the wall superheat is reduced by 12.8 K.

Enhanced flow boiling heat transfer with three-section sudden expansion microchannels

In this study, a three-section sudden expansion microchannels (TSE-MCs) heat sink was proposed to stabilize the flow boiling and improve the thermal performance of the heat sink exposed to high-heat-flux scenarios. The structural effect of newly designed TSE-MC and operating conditions on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC), pressure drop penalty, and flow instability were experimentally investigated and contrasted with continuous straight microchannels (CS-MCs). The experiments were performed at a saturation temperature of 35.5 °C, the mass flux ranging from 468–1033 kg/m2 s, and the heat flux up to ∼132 W/cm2. A comparative analysis based on the experimental results was conducted. Compared to CS-MCs, the nucleate boiling in TSE-MCs was initiated in advance with 0.2–1.2 °C reduction of wall superheat. The maximum HTCs at four mass fluxes, which was up to 62784 W/m2 K, were enhanced by 18.9–23.6 %. The uniformity of wall temperature was improved and the average wall temperature was reduced. HTCs and visualized results indicated that the dominant mechanism for heat transfer in TSE-MCs was nucleate boiling. Meanwhile, the pressure drop in TSE-MCs was slightly reduced, and pressure drop oscillations were greatly suppressed. The flow reversal in the inlet plenum was completely eradicated, and the performance evaluation criterion (PEC) of TSE-MC outperformed that of CS-MCs and was improved by 79.81 %–86.25 %. Overall, the present work demonstrates the great advantages of the newly proposed TSE-MCs, it offers a reference for the design of microchannel heat sinks for the real high heat flux dissipation applications.

Numerical study of flow boiling on microcavity surface under the action of an electric field using lattice Boltzmann method

The microcavity setting promotes bubble nucleation, and the presence of an electric field enables bubble detachment. In this study, the synergistic effect of electric field and microcavity in improved flow boiling heat transfer was analyzed based on the pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method. The investigation was focused on the influence of wall superheat, Reynolds (Re) number, electric field intensity, liquid subcooling, and gravitational acceleration on the flow boiling performance under two forms of electric field distributions for uniform conducting microcavity surface (MC–UCS) and conducting–insulating microcavity surface (MC–CIS). Compared with the MC–UCS, the MC–CIS maintained a stable wetting state in the microcavity through inhibition of sliding and merging of bubbles. The increase in electric field intensity and Re number improved convective heat transfer in the microcavity but at the expense of a larger frictional pressure drop. The boiling phenomenon on the microcavity surface weakened with the increase in liquid subcooling, which caused difficulty for the electric field to improve the heat transfer performance by improving bubble behavior. Electrical force can replace buoyancy force to perturb the vapor–liquid interface under low gravitational acceleration. This condition allows the fluid shear force to drive bubbles away from the microcavity surface quickly. The results can provide theoretical and technical guidance for the realization of the enhanced synergistic heat transfer between electric fields and microstructures.

Thin-film evaporation in microchannels: A combined analytical and computational fluid dynamics approach to assessing meniscus curvature impact

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to investigate the effects of variation in bulk meniscus curvature on evaporative heat and mass transfer in microchannels. Evaporation in microchannels presents a classic multiscale problem, encompassing both microscopic and macroscopic length scales in the thin-film and bulk meniscus regions, respectively. Therefore, the liquid-vapor interface or meniscus shape is first determined through thin-film evaporation analysis using numerical approaches found in the literature. However, a new approach for establishing boundary conditions is also proposed, allowing for the representation of varying curvatures within the bulk meniscus region. Then, the obtained meniscus thickness profiles are exported to a two-dimensional CFD framework. The primary advantage of this developed CFD framework lies in its capability to simultaneously analyze evaporative heat and mass transfer from both microscopic and macroscopic regions, a feature that enhances research endeavors concerning micro and miniature heat pipes. The developed model is applied to various rectangular microchannel sizes, ranging from 10 to 100 μm in width, with wall superheats varying from 0.1 to 3.0 K. The aim is to quantify the effects of variations in bulk meniscus curvature on the evaporative characteristics of the extended meniscus (comprising both thin-film and bulk meniscus regions), using the concept of thermal resistance. Consequently, based on the CFD simulation results, multiple regression analysis is employed to formulate the total thermal resistance in terms of independent parameters, namely the microchannel width, wall superheat, and the radius of curvature (Rc). It is observed that the radius of curvature has a marginal impact on the total thermal resistance, allowing its influence to be expressed by a power-law function of (Rc/Rm)0.102, where Rm represents the minimum radius of curvature.

Analysis of cracking failures in water-cooled wall fins and thermal peaking unit mitigation strategies

Abstract The causes of leakage in the submitted superheater tubes were analyzed using the analysis of macroscopic morphology, chemical composition, and metallography. The analysis results indicate that the chemical composition of the failed superheater tube is within the standard range, and the metallographic structure is ferrite + pearlite, with no abnormalities in the metallographic structure. The main reason for the failure of water-cooled wall tubes and superheater tubes may be the formation of fatigue cracks on the inner and outer walls of the superheater tubes under cyclic stress. As the two fatigue cracks grow and converge, penetrating cracks form, ultimately leading to the initial leakage of the superheater tubes. In addition, the excessive depth of the weld pool in the fins of the superheater tube is another crucial factor that promotes accelerated cracking of the superheater tube. It is recommended that power plants reasonably regulate the temperature difference fluctuation rate of boilers to prevent similar failure accidents from occurring.

Bubble characterization and bubble population on SiC material surface in subcooled boiling flow

A particularly promising candidate for widespread adopted Accident-Tolerant Fuels(ATF) is Silicon Carbide (SiC), which is deemed significantly advantageous for nuclear energy applications due to its remarkable characteristics. The understanding of bubble behavior on SiC surfaces is critical for the development of improved SiC designs. An experiment study was executed to evaluate the characteristics and population of bubbles on the surface of SiC material in subcooled boiling flow. The experimental setup maintained atmospheric pressure and featured a subcooling range of 0-12 K and a wall superheat from 0K to 30K, and a maximum coolant Reynolds number of 10400. The findings accentuated that the sensitivity of heat to fluid velocity during nucleation boiling is greater on surfaces with small porosity than on those with larger porosity. The Sauter mean diameter displays an upward trend in sync with increasing wall superheat, and the Sauter mean diameter can be represented as a dependence of the maximum and minimum bubble diameters. In terms of bubble distribution properties, it was discovered that bubble size and bubble aspect ratio conform to a lognormal distribution, while bubble orientation adheres to a normal distribution, and bubble circularity validates a Weibull distribution.

Optimizing microchannel heat sink performance: Effect of step-gap design and contraction on flow boiling stability and heat transfer

Liquid cooling with cold plates (microchannels) is an advanced thermal management technique used in high-performance electronics and computing systems. Conventional microchannels have a straight fin array that shows instabilities during two-phase flow boiling. The present experimental investigation continues previous studies to explore the effects of combining the contraction before the microchannels (CBM) and a step gap above the microchannels (SGAM) in the enclosed cover of the heat sink to improve two-phase convective boiling performance. The microchannel heat sink is sized at 49 mm × 52 mm, featuring a channel width of 200 μm and a height of 3 mm, with a fin thickness of 200 μm. Dielectric fluid HFE-7000 was used as the working fluid, and the mass flux ranges from 30 to 260 kg/m2·s, with concentrated heat flux varying from 50 to 156 W/cm2. The results reveal that the combination configuration significantly reduces pressure drop by approximately 23–56 % lower than that of the plain (Conventional) configuration. This combination of configurations is especially effective at a high heat flux above 100 W/cm2. Experimental results indicate that the combination configuration lowers wall superheat temperatures compared to the plain sample, therefore enhancing the overall heat transfer coefficient by 30–154 % across the tested mass flux range. These findings underscore the potential of combining contraction before microchannels (CBM) and step gap above microchannels (SGAM) configurations to significantly enhance flow boiling stability and heat transfer performance while incurring a much lower pressure drop penalty.

Enhanced pool boiling heat transfer by coupling multiscale structures and mixed wettability

With the extensive application of boiling heat transfer in engineering, enhanced boiling heat transfer has become a prominent research focus. Micro/nanostructures and surface wettability are pivotal factors affecting the pool boiling heat transfer performance. In this paper, the effects of the mini-pillar, micro-nano composite structure, and mixed wettability on boiling heat transfer performance were investigated. The experimental outcomes indicate that the critical heat flux (CHF) and the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the mini-pillar structured surface (S2) are improved significantly. Compared to S2, the boiling heat transfer performance near the CHF is further enhanced on the surface with micro/nanostructures atop mini-pillars (S3). Furthermore, the size of the hydrophobic spots atop the mini-pillars also profoundly influences the boiling performance, by decreasing the wall superheat significantly. A synergistic pool boiling heat transfer enhancement is achieved by constructing micro/nanostructures on the top of the mini-pillar and controlling the diameter of hydrophobic spots at 0.5 mm atop the mini-pillar (S5 surface), with the maximum HTC and CHF of 230.00 kW/(m2·K) and 2360.20 kW/m2, respectively. These values are 3.82 times and 1.88 times higher than those of the smooth copper surface, respectively.

Unveiling the underlying physics of two-phase boiling heat transfer enhancement through shearing of coalescing bubbles

The upcoming energy scarcity problem has driven research toward developing energy-efficient two-phase heat exchangers essential for various cooling applications. This research is rooted in the principles of pool boiling, essential for effective heat transfer in various heat exchangers. A well-known reported problem in heat exchangers is the dry-out phenomena of heated surfaces due to bubble coalescence. To tackle this undesirable problem, an innovative technique has been introduced in this study, which involves the shearing of bubbles through liquid jet impingement over the heated surface. The study has been carried out in a two-dimensional domain numerically, in the wall superheat range of 9–16 K. To study the underlying physics involved in this pool boiling phenomenon, the bubble dynamics parameters such as departure frequency, bubble diameter, cold spot (bubble base) temperature, and vapor volume fraction have been analyzed. The results show that with the jet shearing effect, a maximum enhancement of 25% in heat transfer rate is observed at higher wall superheat. The investigation also highlights that the liquid jet enhances vapor volume fraction, indicating enhanced steam generation, particularly an enhancement of 27% observed at elevated wall superheat. An early onset necking effect is also observed with the shearing effect, which leads to the formation of smaller bubbles with higher departure frequencies. This study is a benchmark to the fundamental physics of enhancing two-phase heat transfer through bubble shearing, offering promising insights for energy conservation in two-phase heat exchanger design, particularly within the context of pool boiling.

A composite model for nucleate boiling heat transfer in a slush nitrogen pool

The pool boiling of slush nitrogen (SlN2) with various solid volume fractions at subatmospheric pressures is studied to establish a semi-empirical model considering the effects of phase-change solid nitrogen (SN2) particles on convective heat flux and boiling heat flux. The convective heat flux is studied with the modified correlation based on Sindt's fitting, while an improved correlation based on Rohsenow correlation with the dimensionless form of wall superheat in the range of 0<Ja∗ρ∗0.14<0.04 is obtained for the boiling heat flux. With the increasing wall superheat, the enhancement weakens till vanishes at the transition point. This point marks the separation between low- and high-heat-flux regions, where the probability of SN2 invading to thermal boundary layer diminishes to 0 %. The low-heat-flux boiling correlation considers the heat transfer enhancement due to SN2 concentration while the high-heat-flux one ignores the impact of SN2. As the components of SlN2 nucleate boiling model, the convective and boiling heat flux both show the accuracy of ±20 % with experiments. Upon analyzing the boiling curves of SlN2 with various solid volume fractions, SlN2 outperforms LN2 in coolant efficiency at moderate heat load.

Experimental study on the effect of Tin-doped copper oxide capillary-porous surfaces on pool boiling heat transfer performance

The novel tin-doped copper oxide capillary-nano-porous surfaces were created using the easy and affordable sol-gel method. The pool's boiling incipience wall superheat on a capillary-nano-porous surface was lower than a non-coating surface. Bubble flow visualization investigation demonstrates that the coating's shape can significantly affect the processes involved in improving heat transmission. An investigation of the nano-porous surface's long-term stability was conducted using water. Repeated cycles of studies on created nano-porous surfaces revealed a little divergence in wall superheat and surface shape. The present study's tin-doped copper oxide coated surface (Sn-CuO-600) has a higher CHF (critical heat flux) and HTC (heat transfer coefficient). Heat transmission by boiling rises when a substantial quantity of bubbles are rapidly evacuated from the heating exterior. It is observed that a greater quantity of tiny, spherical bubbles are continually growing on the superhydrophilic Sn-CuO-600 surface. Compared to the plain copper surface, the Sn-CuO-600 surface experiences a significant reduction in bubble departure times. The rate of bubble formation is increased by superhydrophilic surfaces, which also reduce bubble dimensions and release times. Consequently, the Sn-CuO-600 surfaces exhibit superior heat transfer ability throughout boiling.

Analysis of vapor bubble diameter, departure frequency and dynamics in a single cavity

The ongoing quest for methods that enhance the efficiency of heat transfer processes, particularly those involving phase change, underscores the importance of comprehending the dynamics of vapor bubbles during boiling. This study investigates heat transfer mechanisms and the dynamics of vapor bubbles within the nucleate boiling regime. Experimental tests were conducted on a flat copper surface featuring a single cavity, focusing on analyzing vapor bubble growth and departure stages. The working fluid examined was HFE-7100 under saturated conditions. The formation and growth aspects of vapor bubbles, including their diameter (Dd) and departure frequency (f), were investigated through experimental data obtained by two different techniques: by an optical sensor of variable resistance capable of generating an analog signal from a voltage change and by a high-speed camera that captures images immediately after the instant that the bubble detached from the surface. Both techniques provide visual insights into the boiling phenomenon. An escalation in heat flux and, consequently, wall superheat resulted in an increased bubble departure frequency. Furthermore, the optical flow analysis successfully identified velocity and vorticity fields induced by micro convection, the prevailing heat transfer mode in nucleated boiling. A slight horizontal displacement trend over time was observed, which may be caused by the asymmetry in the velocity profile, confirmed by velocity peaks tending toward one direction. Vortex analysis reveals rotational motion concentrated in specific regions, with noticeable deformation near the bottom of the bubble and asymmetric movement contributing to vorticity. These findings provide insights into the vapor bubble dynamics, which is important for understanding the cavity rewetting phenomena.

Boiling heat transfer of upwind planar water jet impingement on moving hot steel sheet

This study aimed to experimentally investigate the boiling heat transfer characteristics of an upward planar water jet on a horizontally moving stainless-steel sheet with 0.3-mm thickness using an infrared camera-based method. The experiments varied the moving velocity of the solid (1.5, 3.0, and 4.4 m/s), the initial temperature (200–600 °C), and the jet impact velocity (1.08 and 1.32 m/s). The surface heat flux distribution and temperature profile of the solid were found to be asymmetric to the jet impingement line. The temperature drop due to jet impingement ΔTm can be expressed as ∫qs(x)dx/(ρcHVs), where ρ,c,H are the density, specific heat, and thickness of the test sheet, respectively. This quantity depends both the heat flux profile qs(x) and the moving velocity Vs. The solid exhibited large temperature decreases at small moving velocities. The curve of the maximum heat flux, defined as the peak value in each experiment, exhibited similarities to a pool boiling curve and was significantly dependent on the local temperature of the solid. The empirical correlations for predicting the maximum heat flux in the nucleate and film boiling regions were constructed as qmax=50100VS-0.169vj0.377ΔTsat1.48 W/m2 and qmax=34500VS0.014vj0.5ΔTsat W/m2, respectively, where vj, and ΔTsat are the jet impact velocity and wall superheat.

Augmentation of pool boiling heat transfer using a microstructured aluminum surface fabricated by ultrasonic cavitation modification

Micro/nanostructure is a popular and effective structure for boiling heat transfer enhancement. In this study, ultrasonic cavitation modification is employed firstly to create microstructured aluminum surface for boiling heat transfer. With the impact of ultrasonic cavitation microjet, numerous micro pits and holes are formed on the surface in one step, constituting microstructures on aluminum plate. The saturated and subcooled pool boiling experiments are conducted at atmospheric pressure using ethanol as a working fluid. It is found that boiling hysteresis is apparent on the modified plate (MP) with the porous microstructure layer, which can be eliminated by periodically fluctuating heat flux. Under the stable saturated boiling condition, the maximum heat transfer coefficient is enhanced by 208% and wall superheat is decreased by 17.6 °C compared to the bare aluminum surface. Under subcooled boiling conditions, the boiling hysteresis on MP becomes weaker and the positive effect of microstructures on heat transfer performance is enhanced. The enhanced heat transfer coefficient of MP is mainly attributed to the increase of nucleation site density and further to the facilitation of bubble coalescence and departure, while the increased critical heat flux under subcooled boiling conditions is derived from the delaying occurrence of mushroom-like bubble.

Effect of curvature on bubble dynamics and associated heat transfer characteristics for nucleate pool boiling from a hydrophilic curved surface

PurposeThis paper aims to carry out numerical study on growth of a single bubble from a curved hydrophilic surface, in nucleate pool boiling (NPB). The boiling performance associated with NPB on a curved surface has been analyzed in contrast to a plane surface.Design/methodology/approachCommercial software ANSYS Fluent 2021 R1 has been used with its built-in feature of interface tracking based on volume of fluid method. For water as the working fluid, the effect of microlayer evaporation underneath the bubble base has been included with the help of user-defined function. The phase change behavior at the interface of vapor bubble has been modeled by using “saturated-interface-volume” phase change model.FindingsAn interesting outcome of the present study is that the bubble departure gets delayed with increase in curvature of the heating surface. Wall heat flux is found to be higher for a curved surface as compared to a plane surface. Effect of wettability on the time for bubble growth is relatively more for the curved surface as compared to that for a plane surface.Originality/valueEffect of surface curvature has been investigated on bubble dynamics and also on temporal variation of heat flux. In addition, the impact of surface wettability along with the surface curvature has also been analyzed on bubble morphology and spatial variation of heat flux. Furthermore, the influence of wall superheat on the bubble growth and also the wall heat flux has been studied for fixed angle of contact and varying curvature.

Experimental study of pool boiling heat transfer on mini-pillar surfaces with different hydrophobic dot arrays

In this study, we conducted experimental research on the pool boiling performance of mini-pillar surfaces with different hydrophobic dot arrays. The experimental results show that the distribution and total area of hydrophobic dot arrays on pillar tops significantly influence the boiling performance of mini-pillar surfaces. In comparison with the mini-pillar surface without wettability modification, introducing hydrophobic dot arrays on the pillar tops can improve the bubble nucleation density and diminish the wall superheat at boiling onset. Therefore, the boiling performance of mini-pillar surfaces can be gradually improved by increasing the total area of hydrophobic dot arrays at low heat fluxes. However, a further increase in the total area of hydrophobic dot arrays may lead to the reduction of the bubble departure frequency at high heat fluxes, which is not conducive to the segregation of the liquid and vapor pathways. The experimental results indicated that when the total area of hydrophobic pillar tops accounts for 10.24 % of the projected area of the mini-pillar surfaces, an optimal enhancement is achieved, and the optimal enhancement of boiling performance on the mini-pillar surfaces with hydrophobic dot arrays results from a suitable balance between promoting the bubble nucleation and maintaining higher bubble departure frequency.

Flow film boiling on a sphere in the mixed and forced convection regimes

Saturated flow film boiling on a sphere has been numerically studied in this work for both vertical and horizontal flow configurations. The simulations were performed using a numerical methodology developed by the authors for boiling flows on three-dimensional unstructured meshes. For interface capturing, the coupled level set and volume of fluid method is used. The interface evolution, vapour wake dynamics and heat transfer have been thoroughly investigated by varying the saturated liquid flow velocity, sphere diameter and wall superheat. The relative importance of both the buoyancy and the inertial forces is described in terms of the Froude number $(Fr)$ . The vapour bubble evolves periodically at low $Fr$ values, while a stable vapour column develops at high $Fr$ values. The interface evolution pattern obtained in the present work is in good agreement with the results of experimental studies available in the literature. For all the values of $Fr$ , a stable vapour column develops for a large-diameter sphere and releases vapour bubbles of varying sizes. Furthermore, for a large-diameter sphere, surface capillary waves are observed at the interface, similar to the observations of some of the experimental studies available in the literature. The flow in the liquid and vapour wakes appears to be strongly coupled. The heat transfer in the present work is estimated using the spatially and temporally averaged Nusselt numbers. Finally, an fast Fourier transform analysis of the space-averaged Nusselt number reveals a strong interaction among the different forces.

Enhancement of Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics on Diamond/Cu Heterogeneous Surface

Surface treatment is an effective method of enhancing the heat transfer performance of flow boiling. Diamond/Cu, as a particle‐reinforced composite, exhibits heterogeneous surface properties and surface microstructures that play distinct roles in heat transfer. To elucidate the synergistic effect of heterogeneous material surfaces and microstructures, pure copper surface (PC), untreated diamond/Cu surface (DC), and surface‐treated diamond/Cu surface (SDC) are prepared for this experiment. These surfaces demonstrate various combinations of diamond, copper, and their corresponding surface microstructures. DC, characterized by heterogeneous wetting properties, demonstrates a heat transfer coefficient (HTC) that is 9%–24% higher than that of PC. The surface treatment of SDC results in the formation of a superhydrophilic CuO nanosheet structure, significantly enhancing both surface roughness and energy. SDC develops microcracks on the surface of diamond. The increased roughness provides numerous nucleation areas for the hydrophobic diamond, enhancing the overall wettability of the surface when combined with the superhydrophilic CuO region. SDC demonstrates the advantage of enhanced flow boiling on the surface of heterogeneous materials. At the identical heat flux, SDC exhibits a reduction of 5–10 °C in wall superheat and an increase of 38%–47% in HTC.

Lattice Boltzmann study of the effect of metal foam on bubble behavior and heat transfer performance in flow boiling

Metal foams with high porosity, light weight, and large specific surface area can significantly enhance heat transfer performance. In this study, the lattice Boltzmann method coupled with the finite difference method is used to investigate the flow boiling characteristics of metal foam surface. Focus is given on the effects of Reynolds number, gravitational acceleration, wall superheat, and metal foam thickness on heat transfer performance. Studies show that increasing the Reynolds number enhances convective heat transfer on the metal foam surface but inhibits bubble nucleation. Compared with a smooth surface, the metal foam takes full advantage of the fluid shear force induced by the high-velocity fluid in the channel-center region, thereby reducing the dependence on buoyancy for bubble detachment. As the wall superheat and metal foam thickness increase, the wake effect induced by bubble detachment is enhanced. Subsequently, bubble detachment is facilitated and the liquid supply is enhanced. These results provide theoretical and applied technical guidance for the structural design of novel metal foam surfaces.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flow boiling heat transfer process in a horizontal microchannel with rectangular cavities

Bubble nucleation, growth and separation from cavities on the bottom of a microchannel for subcooled flow boiling are investigated by pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann method. The influence of subcooling temperature, wall superheat, wettability, cavity size, and cavity number on the flow boiling heat transfer is systematically studied. The results show that the bubble equivalent diameter is 1.9 times larger at subcooling temperature 0.05Tc than that at 0.15Tc, and the heat flux is also 8 % higher at subcooling temperature 0.05Tc than that at 0.15Tc. It is found that the flow boiling changes from nucleate boiling to film boiling with the increase of wall superheat. When the wall wettability changes from the hydrophobic wall (θ = 120°) to the hydrophilic wall (θ = 30°), the average Nusselt number (Nuav) is reduced by 23 %. We also optimize cavity height and the uniformly distributed cavity number in the microchannel. It is found that the Nuav is increased by 9.7 % when the cavity height changes from h = 20lu (lattice unit) to h = 60lu. However, there exists an optimal cavity height about h = 60lu, where the heat transfer performance cannot be improved with the cavity height over this value. In addition, the number of cavities in the microchannel can improve the boiling heat transfer. When the cavity number changes from 1 to 4, the Nuav is increased by 10 %.