Molecular Dynamics Study on Explosive Boiling of Thin Liquid Argon Film on Nanostructured Surface Under Different Wetting Conditions

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to investigate the boiling phenomena of thin liquid film adsorbed on a nanostructured solid surface with particular emphasis on the effect of wetting condition of the solid surface. The molecular system consists of liquid and vapor argon, and solid platinum wall. The nanostructures which reside on top of the solid wall have shape of rectangular block. The solid-liquid interfacial wettability, in other words whether the solid surface is hydrophilic or hydrophobic has been altered for different cases to examine its effect on boiling phenomena. The initial configuration of the simulation domain comprised a three phase system (solid platinum, liquid argon and vapor argon) which was equilibrated at 90 K. After equilibrium period, the wall temperature was suddenly increased from 90 K to 250 K which is far above the critical point of argon and this initiates rapid or explosive boiling. The spatial and temporal variation of temperature and density as well as the variation of system pressure with respect to time were closely monitored for each case. The heat flux normal to the solid surface was also calculated to illustrate the effectiveness of heat transfer for different cases of wetting conditions of solid surface. The results show that the wetting condition of surface has significant effect on explosive boiling of the thin liquid film. The surface with higher wettability (hydrophilic) provides more favorable conditions for boiling than the low-wetting surface (hydrophobic) and therefore, liquid argon responds quickly and shifts from liquid to vapor phase faster in case of hydrophilic surface.

The Influence of Confinement on the Hydrodynamic Characteristics of a Cylindrical Pillar Within a Microchannel

Microfluidic cooling technologies for future electronic and photonic microsystems require more efficient flow configurations to improve heat transfer without a hydrodynamic penalty. Although conventional microchannel heat sinks are effective at dissipating large heat fluxes, their large pressure drops are a limiting design factor. There is some evidence in the literature that obstacles such as pillars placed in a microchannel can enhance downstream convective heat transfer with some increase in pressure drop. In this paper, measured head-loss coefficients are presented for a set of single microchannels of nominal hydraulic diameter 391μm and length 30mm, each containing a single, centrally-located cylindrical pillar covering a range of confinement ratios, β = 0.1–0.7, over a Reynolds number range of 40–1900. The increase in head-loss due to the addition of the pillar ranged from 143% to 479%, compared to an open channel. To isolate the influence of the pillar, the head-loss contribution of the open channel was extracted from the data for each pillar configuration. The data was curve-fitted to a decaying power-law relationship. High coefficients of determination were recorded with low root mean squared errors, indicating good fits to the data. The data set was surface-fitted with a power law relationship using the Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter. This was found to collapse the data well below a Reynolds number of 425 to an accuracy of ± 20%. Beyond this Reynolds number an inflection point was observed, indicating a change in flow regime similar to that of a cylinder in free flow. This paper gives an insight into the hydrodynamic behavior of a microchannel containing cylindrical pillars in a laminar flow regime, and provides a practical tool for determining the head-loss of a configuration that has been demonstrated to improve downstream heat transfer in microchannels.

Experimental Verification of Analytical Prediction of Pool Boiling CHF Incorporating the Effects of EHD and Contact Angle

Boiling heat transfer enhancement via compound effect of Electro-Hydro-Dynamic (EHD) and contact angle has been experimentally and analytically investigated. A fluorinated dielectric liquid (Asahi Glass Co. Ltd, AE-3000) was selected as the working fluid. Pool boiling heat transfer in the saturated liquid was measured at atmospheric pressure. In order to change the contact angle between the boiling surface and the dielectric liquid, the different materials Cu, Cr, NiB, Sn, and mixture of 5 and 1.5 micro meter diamond particles were electrically deposited on a boiling surface. The critical heat flux (CHF) for different contact angles showed 20.5 ∼ 26.9 W/cm2 which was −7 ∼ 25 % of that for a non-coated Cu surface (21.5 W/cm2). Upon application of a −5 kV/mm electric field to the micro structured surface (the mixture of 5 and 1.5 micro meter particles), a CHF of 99 W/cm2 at a superheat of 33.5 K was obtained. The previous theoretical equation of pool boiling predicted the CHF with the electric field and without the electrode.

Parametric Study of Dielectrophoretic Interactive Motion of Particles

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has become one of the most popular mechanisms for label free particle manipulations and transport in microfluidics. The efficacy of this mechanism is greatly dependent on the understanding and control of DEP interactive motion among particles. In this study, we performed a systematic investigation to understand the effect of particles size and electrical properties on DC DEP interactions among particles using in-house hybrid immersed boundary – immersed interface numerical method. Immersed boundary method is employed to predict flow field and immersed interface method is used to simulate electric field. The numerical model utilizes Maxwell’s stress tensor to obtain DEP forces, while solving transient Navier-Stokes equation it determines the hydrodynamic interaction between each of the particles and the fluid containing them. By varying the number of particles as well as the particles’ size, electrical properties and initial orientations, a number of possibilities were considered. Results indicate that the particles with similar electrical conductivities attract each other and tend to align themselves parallel to the external electric field regardless of sizes. If electrical conductivity of particles is lower than that of the fluid medium then the particle-particle interactions is caused by the negative DEP. If electrical conductivity of particles is higher than that of the fluid medium then the interactive motions of particle is attributed to the positive DEP. On the other hand, electrically dissimilar particles still attract each other but tend to align perpendicular to the electric field. Both negative and positive DEP contributes in interactions between electrically dissimilar particles. Numerical simulation also shows that the identical sized particles move at the same speed during interaction. In contrast, smaller particles moves faster than the larger particle during the interactions. This study explains the effect of size and electrical properties on DEP interactive motions of particles and can be utilized to design microfluidic devices for DEP particle manipulations.

Evaporation Heat Transfer Characteristics on the Outside of Horizontal Smooth, Herringbone and Enhanced Surface 1EHT Tubes

An experiment investigation was performed using R410A in order to determine the single-phase and evaporation heat transfer coefficients on the outside of (i) a smooth tube; (ii) herringbone tube; and (iii) the newly developed Vipertex enhanced surface 1EHT tube; all with the same external diameter (12.7 mm). The nominal evaporation temperature is 279 K, with inlet and outlet qualities of 0.1 and 0.8. Mass fluxes ranged from 10 to 40 kg m−2s−1. Results suggest that the 1EHT tube has excellent heat transfer performance but a higher pressure drop when compared to a smooth tube. Evaporation heat transfer coefficient for the 1EHT is lower than the herringbone tube and the pressure drop is almost the same.

Approaches Towards the Ultimate Luminous Output Power of Light-Emitting Diodes: Bottlenecks and Remedies

Although light-emitting diodes (LEDs) hold great promises for high-efficiency lighting applications, the cost per lumen still poses a challenge for LEDs to fast penetrate into the markets. Increasing the output power per LED chip reduces the number of chips required for a specific luminous flux, thus reducing the cost of LED luminaires. However, it is well known that the luminous output power of LEDs (Pout) cannot be enhanced simply by increasing the injection current density (Jinj) due to efficiency droop. Extensive efforts have been made towards avoiding efficiency droop at high injection current densities (e.g., Jinj > 50 A/cm2). Gardner et al. reported a double-heterostructure LED with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 40% at 200 A/cm2. Xie et al. introduced an electron-blocking layer into the LED devices and the EQE peak occurred at 900 A/cm2 approximately. Nevertheless, the EQE is always lower than 100%, excessive heat will accumulate in LEDs at high current densities and increase the junction temperatures, which will damage the device and limit its luminous output power and lifetime. In this paper, the recombination mechanism in the LED active area is analyzed and an analytic relationship between Pout and Jinj is proposed. The calculated results show that the best Pout currently achieved is far lower than its potential value. The temperature dependence of the Pout-Jinj relationship is also calculated and the thermal state of LEDs at high injection current densities predicted. The results demonstrate that LED luminaires with thermal management based on conventional fin-shaped heat sinks suffer from thermal runaway due to excessive heat accumulation before reaching their ultimate output power. The gap between the existing and predicted Pout is mainly due to thermal runaway of LED devices at high injection current densities, instead of efficiency droop. Therefore, the short-term solution of LED luminous output power enhancement should be better cooling of LED modules, such as jet/spray cooling, heat pipe cooling, or 3D embedded two-phase cooling. Long-term solutions continue to focus on reducing the efficiency droop with improved LED device structures and advanced materials.

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Rarefied Gas Flow Along Moving Rigid Objects in Micro-Cavities

Rarefied gas flow plays an important role in the design and performance analysis of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) under high-vacuum conditions. The rarefaction can be evaluated by the Knudsen number (Kn), which is the ratio of the molecular mean free path length and the characteristic length. In micro systems, the rarefied gas flow usually stays in the slip- and transition-flow regions (10−3 < Kn < 10), and may even go into the free molecular flow region (Kn > 10). As a result, conventional design tools based on continuum Navier-Stokes equation solvers are not applicable to analyzing rarefaction phenomena in MEMS under vacuum conditions. In this paper, we investigate the rarefied gas flow by using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), which is suitable for mesoscopic fluid simulation. The gas pressure determines the mean free path length and Kn, which further influences the relaxation time in the collision procedure of LBM. Here, we focus on the problem of squeezed film damping caused by an oscillating rigid object in a cavity. We propose an improved LBM with an immersed boundary approach, where an adjustable force term is used to quantify the interaction between the moving object and adjacent fluid, and further determines the slip velocity. With the proposed approach, the rarefied gas flow in MEMS with squeezed film damping is characterized. Different factors that affect the damping coefficient, such as pressure of gas and frequency of oscillation, are investigated in our simulation studies.

Effect of Tube Diameter on Flow Phenomena of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Microchannels

Gas-liquid two-phase flows in minichannels and microchannels display a unique flow pattern called ring film flow, in which stable waves of relatively large amplitudes appear at seemingly regular intervals and propagate in the flow direction. In the present work, the velocity characteristics of gas slugs, ring films, and their features such as the gas slug length, flow phenomena and frictional pressure drop for nitrogen-distilled water and nitrogen-30 wt% ethanol water solution have been investigated experimentally. Four kinds of circular microchannels with diameters of 100 μm, 150 μm, 250 μm and 518 μm were used. The effects of tube diameter and physical properties, especially the surface tension and liquid viscosity, on the flow patterns, gas slug length and the two-phase frictional pressure drop have been investigated by using a high speed camera at 6,000 frames per second. The flow characteristics of gas slugs, liquid slugs and the waves of ring film are presented in this paper.

A Photographic Study of Flow Boiling Stability on a Plain Surface With Tapered Manifold

Flow boiling in microchannels offers many advantages such as high heat transfer coefficient, higher surface area to volume ratio, low coolant inventory, uniform temperature control and compact design. The application of these flow boiling systems has been severely limited due to early critical heat flux (CHF) and flow instability. Recently, a number of studies have focused on variable flow cross-sectional area to augment the thermal performance of microchannels. In a previous work, the open microchannel with manifold (OMM) configuration was experimentally investigated to provide high heat transfer coefficient coupled with high CHF and low pressure drop. In the current work, high speed images of plain surface using tapered manifold are obtained to gain an insight into the nucleating bubble behavior. The mechanism of bubble nucleation, growth and departure are described through high speed images. Formation of dry spots for both tapered and uniform manifold geometry is also discussed.

A Critical Review of Drag Reduction in Channel Flows and Numerical Study of Forced Convective Transport in a Channel With Conducting-Lubricating (CO-LUB) Surfaces

Addressing the traditionally contradictory problem of obtaining considerable drag reduction without negatively impacting heat transfer as much is an arduous scientific challenge. In this paper, prior efforts on frictional drag reduction and the associated issues are discussed in relevant detail, and the effectiveness of Conducting-Lubricating (CO-LUB) surfaces as one of the potential options to address this challenge for single phase forced convection of liquids is numerically pursued. CO-LUB surfaces have exceptionally high wetting characteristics, and when saturated with a liquid microlayer, provide remarkable lubrication to bulk liquid flow and simultaneously facilitate heat transfer by conduction through the microlayer. In the simulations, the side walls of a high aspect ratio rectangular channel were assumed as CO-LUB surfaces and flow and heat transfer of bulk liquid flow were modeled using ANSYS FLUENT 14.5. Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method was used to model the two phases with a free surface interface, with water as the microlayer liquid and oil as the bulk liquid, in a narrow channel of 5 mm width and 50 mm length under laminar flow, constant wall heat flux conditions. The results were compared with a regular channel of the same dimensions (without CO-LUB surfaces) and it was found that pressure drop decreased remarkably by ∼23 times for some cases but without any heat transfer attenuation (actually, improved heat transfer performance was observed) leading to highly energy-efficient convective transport.