Contact Angle Measurements for Advanced Thermal Management Technologies

Abstract

This study investigates the wettability of fluid-solid interactions of interest for oscillating heat pipe (OHP) applications. Measurements were taken using two techniques: the sessile drop method and capillary rise at a vertical plate. Tested surface materials include copper, aluminum, and Teflon PFA. The working fluids tested were water, acetone, R-134a, and HFO-1234yf. A novel low-pressure experimental setup was developed for refrigerant testing. Results show that the refrigerants have significantly lower hysteresis than the water and acetone-based systems, which is thought to lead to better heat transfer in OHP design.