In this work, wicking is studied in ∼728 nm height crossconnected nanochannels buried under a SiO 2 surface. Pores of diameter ∼2 μm, present at each intersect of nanochannels, allow a water droplet placed on the surface to wick into the channels. Experiments are conducted for two different channel widths/spacings and five different water droplet volumes. Wicking characteristics show the occurrence of wicking-dominant and evaporationdominant regimes, with each further divided into two subregimes. All experimental data in wicking-dominant regime are in good agreement with two analytical models which can be used to predict the wicking distance evolution in such nanochannels. The analysis shows that wicking is initially governed by surface tension and viscous forces as there is unhindered supply of liquid from the droplet. After this initial phase, hydrodynamic dissipation within the droplet sitting on the top surface dictates wicking inside the channels.
Boiling, a dynamic and multiscale process, has been studied for several decades; however, a comprehensive understanding of the process is still lacking. The bubble ebullition cycle, which occurs over millisecond time-span, makes it extremely challenging to study near-surface interfacial characteristics of a single bubble. Here, we create a steady-state vapor bubble that can remain stable for hours in a pool of sub-cooled water using a femtosecond laser source. The stability of the bubble allows us to measure the contact-angle and perform in-situ imaging of the contact-line region and the microlayer, on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces and in both degassed and regular (with dissolved air) water. The early growth stage of vapor bubble in degassed water shows a completely wetted bubble base with the microlayer, and the bubble does not depart from the surface due to reduced liquid pressure in the microlayer. Using experimental data and numerical simulations, we obtain permissible range of maximum heat transfer coefficient possible in nucleate boiling and the width of the evaporating layer in the contact-line region. This technique of creating and measuring fundamental characteristics of a stable vapor bubble will facilitate rational design of nanostructures for boiling enhancement and advance thermal management in electronics.
For over five decades, enhancement in pool boiling heat transfer has been achieved by altering the surface wetting, wickability, roughness, nucleation site density and providing separate liquid/vapor pathways. In this work, a new enhancement mechanism based on the early-evaporation of the microlayer is discovered and validated. The microlayer is a thin liquid film present at the base of a vapor bubble. Presence of micro-ridges on the silicon-dioxide surface partitions the microlayer and disconnects it from bulk liquid causing it to evaporate sooner, thus leading to increase in bubble growth rate, heat transfer, departure frequency and critical heat flux (CHF). Compared to a plain surface, ~120% enhancement in CHF is obtained with only ~18% increase in surface area. A CHF enhancement map is developed based on ridge height and spacing, resulting in three regions of full, partial and no enhancement. The new mechanism is validated by comparing the growth rate of a laser created vapor bubble on ridge-structured surface and plain surface, and the corresponding prediction of CHF enhancement is found to be in good agreement with experimental boiling data. This discovery opens up a new field of CHF enhancement and can be coupled with existing techniques to further push the limits of boiling heat transfer.
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