Ho Seon Ahn

Effect of liquid spreading due to nano/microstructures on the critical heat flux during pool boiling

It is well known that nanoparticles deposited on a heating surface during nanofluid boiling can change the characteristics of the heating surface and increase the critical heat flux (CHF) dramatically. We considered a new approach to investigate the nanoparticle surface effect on CHF enhancement using surfaces modified with artificial micro/nanostructures similar to deposited nanoparticle structures. We examined the effect of the surface wettability and liquid spreading ability on the CHF. The results demonstrated that the CHF enhancement on the modified surfaces was a consequence of both the improved surface wettability and the liquid spreading ability of the artificial micro/nanostructures.

On the Mechanism of Pool Boiling Critical Heat Flux Enhancement in Nanofluids

The pool boiling characteristics of water-based nanofluids with alumina and titania nanoparticles of 0.01 vol % were investigated on a thermally heated disk heater at saturated temperature and atmospheric pressure. The results confirmed the findings of previous studies that nanofluids can significantly enhance the critical heat flux (CHF), resulting in a large increase in the wall superheat. It was found that some nanoparticles deposit on the heater surface during nucleate boiling, and the surface modification due to the deposition results in the same magnitude of CHF enhancement in pure water as for nanofluids. Subsequent to the boiling experiments, the interfacial properties of the heater surfaces were examined using dynamic wetting of an evaporating water droplet. As the surface temperature increased, the evaporating meniscus on the clean surface suddenly receded toward the liquid due to the evaporation recoil force on the liquid-vapor interface, but the nanoparticle-fouled surface exhibited stable wetting of the liquid meniscus even at a remarkably higher wall superheat. The heat flux gain attainable due to the improved wetting of the evaporating meniscus on the fouled surface showed good agreement with the CHF enhancement during nanofluid boiling. It is supposed that the nanoparticle layer increases the stability of the evaporating microlayer underneath a bubble growing on a heated surface and thus the irreversible growth of a hot/dry spot is inhibited even at a high wall superheat, resulting in the CHF enhancement observed when boiling nanofluids.

A Review on Critical Heat Flux Enhancement With Nanofluids and Surface Modification

Recently, there has been increasing interest in boiling nanofluids and their applications. Among the many articles that have been published, the critical heat flux (CHF) of nanofluids has drawn special attention because of its dramatic enhancement. This article includes recent studies on CHF increasing during the past decade by various researchers for both pool boiling and convective flow boiling applications using nanofluids as the working fluid. It presents a review of nanofluid critical heat flux research with the aim of identifying the reasons for its enhancement and the limitations of nanofluid applications based on various published reports. In addition, further research required to make use of the CHF enhancement caused by nanofluids for practical applications is discussed. Finally, the surface modification method with micro/nanostructures to increase the CHF is introduced and recommended as a useful way.

A Novel Role of Three Dimensional Graphene Foam to Prevent Heater Failure during Boiling

We report a novel boiling heat transfer (NBHT) in reduced graphene oxide (RGO) suspended in water (RGO colloid) near critical heat flux (CHF), which is traditionally the dangerous limitation of nucleate boiling heat transfer because of heater failure. When the heat flux reaches the maximum value (CHF) in RGO colloid pool boiling, the wall temperature increases gradually and slowly with an almost constant heat flux, contrary to the rapid wall temperature increase found during water pool boiling. The gained time by NBHT would provide the safer margin of the heat transfer and the amazing impact on the thermal system as the first report of graphene application. In addition, the CHF and boiling heat transfer performance also increase. This novel boiling phenomenon can effectively prevent heater failure because of the role played by the self-assembled three-dimensional foam-like graphene network (SFG).

Self-assembled foam-like graphene networks formed through nucleate boiling

Self-assembled foam-like graphene (SFG) structures were formed using a simple nucleate boiling method, which is governed by the dynamics of bubble generation and departure in the graphene colloid solution. The conductivity and sheet resistance of the calcined (400°C) SFG film were 11.8 S·cm–1 and 91.2 Ω□−1, respectively, and were comparable to those of graphene obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (~10 S·cm–1). The SFG structures can be directly formed on any substrate, including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glasses, metals, bare glasses, and flexible polymers. As a potential application, SFG formed on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) exhibited a slightly better overall efficiency (3.6%) than a conventional gold electrode (3.4%) as a cathode of quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs).

Enhanced critical heat flux by capillary driven liquid flow on the well-designed surface

Based on the unique design of the surface morphology, we investigated the effects of gravity and capillary pressure on Critical heat flux (CHF). The micro-structured surfaces for pool boiling tests were comprised with both the rectangular cavity and microchannel structures. The microcavity structures could intrinsically block the liquid flow by capillary pressure effect, and the capillary flow into the boiling surface was one-dimensionally induced only through the microchannel region. Thus, we could clearly establish the relationship between the CHF and capillary wicking flow. The driving potentials for the liquid inflow can be classified into the hydrostatic head by gravitational force, and the capillary pressure induced by the interactions of vapor bubbles, liquid film, and surface solid structures. Through the analysis of the experimental data and visualization of vapor bubble behaviors, we present that the liquid supplement to maintain the nucleate boiling regime in pool boiling condition is governed by the gravitational pressure head and capillary pressure effect.

Wicking and spreading of water droplets on nanotubes.

Recently, there has been intensive research on the use of nanotechnology to improve the wettability of solid surfaces. It is well-known that nanostructures can improve the wettability of a surface, and this is a very important safety consideration in regard to the occurrence of boiling crises during two-phase heat transfer, especially in the operation of nuclear power plant systems. Accordingly, there is considerable interest in wetting phenomena on nanostructures in the field of nuclear heat transfer. Much of the latest research on liquid absorption on a surface with nanostructures indicates that liquid spreading is generated by capillary wicking. However, there has been comparatively little research on how capillary forces affect liquid spreading on a surface with nanotubes. In this paper, we present a visualization of liquid spreading on a zircaloy surface with nanotubes, and establish a simple quantitative method for measuring the amount of water absorbed by the nanotubes. We successfully describe liquid spreading on a two-dimensional surface via one-dimensional analysis. As a result, we are able to postulate a relationship between liquid spreading and capillary wicking in the nanotubes.

Enhanced heat transfer is dependent on thickness of graphene films: the heat dissipation during boiling

Boiling heat transfer (BHT) is a particularly efficient heat transport method because of the latent heat associated with the process. However, the efficiency of BHT decreases significantly with increasing wall temperature when the critical heat flux (CHF) is reached. Graphene has received much recent research attention for applications in thermal engineering due to its large thermal conductivity. In this study, graphene films of various thicknesses were deposited on a heated surface, and enhancements of BHT and CHF were investigated via pool-boiling experiments. In contrast to the well-known surface effects, including improved wettability and liquid spreading due to micron- and nanometer-scale structures, nanometer-scale folded edges of graphene films provided a clue of BHT improvement and only the thermal conductivity of the graphene layer could explain the dependence of the CHF on the thickness. The large thermal conductivity of the graphene films inhibited the formation of hot spots, thereby increasing the CHF. Finally, the provided empirical model could be suitable for prediction of CHF.

Loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nano structures during condensation

Condensed liquid behavior on hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surfaces is a subject with multiple practical applications, but remains poorly understood. In particular, the loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nanostructures during condensation, even when the same surface shows water-repellant characteristics when exposed to air, requires intensive investigation to improve and apply our understanding of the fundamental physics of condensation. Here, we postulate the criterion required for condensation to form from inside the surface structures by examining the grand potentials of a condensation system, including the properties of the condensed liquid and the conditions required for condensation. The results imply that the same hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface could exhibit different liquid droplet behavior depending on the conditions. Our findings are supported by the observed phenomena: the initiation of a condensed droplet from inside a hydrophobic cavity, the apparent wetted state changes, and the presence of sticky condensed droplets on the hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface.

Dynamics of water droplet on a heated nanotubes surface

This study investigated an effect of nanotubes on a heated surface onto Leidenfrost droplet through high speed visualization and momentum balance analysis. Delayed cutback phenomena and Leidenfrost Point (LFP) by dramatically high heating level were observed, and it is elucidated through wettable and spreadable features induced by nanotubes. As much delayed LFP, transient boiling regime with explosion-like dynamics of a water droplet on the nanotubes was observed. Furthermore, nanotubes required higher wall temperature to maintain non wetting cushion, due to the induced slip condition by porous features.