Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization of Oscillations during Flow Boiling of Water in Parallel Microchannels

  • Published:
Journal of Engineering Thermophysics Aims and scope

Abstract

Several challenges coexist in the field of flow boiling in microchannels, ranging from high superheat required for boiling incipience to boiling instabilities and early dryouts. The aim of this study is to mitigate or solve some of the challenges and develop an image-processing algorithm for analysis of boiling oscillations in multiple parallel channels. The experimental results were acquired on an array of 64 parallel \(25\times 25\) \(\mu\)m microchannels using a synchronized high-speed visualization and measuring system. The small cross section of the microchannels allowed only the formation of annular two-phase flow, and a computer algorithm was developed for tracking the meniscus oscillations during boiling. The applied image analysis focuses on reliability with the simultaneous use of brightness variation and brightness derivative along with image subtraction. Moreover, the images were preprocessed to determine the number of microchannels and their orientation with applying different filtering and Radon transformations. The data extracted from the visualization helped determine the peak-to-peak amplitudes and fundamental frequencies of the oscillating meniscus. The results exhibit lower amplitudes and higher fundamental frequencies with increasing heat flux. The mass flux was kept constant at 83 kg/m\(^{2}\)s, whereas the heat flux varied from 150 kW/m\(^{2}\) to 250 kW/m\(^{2}\). The amplitudes and the fundamental frequencies of the meniscus oscillations determine the length and duration of microchannel with periodically alternating liquid and vapor phases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Kandlikar, S.G., Colin, S., Peles, Y., Garimella, S., Pease, R.F., Brandner, J.J., and Tuckerman, D.B., Heat Transfer in Microchannels—2012 Status and Research Needs, J. Heat Transfer, 2013, vol. 135, no. 9, pp. 091001–091018.

  2. Ghiaasiaan, S.M., and Chedester, R.C., Boiling Incipience in Microchannels, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2002, vol. 45, no. 23, pp. 4599–4606.

  3. Kandlikar, S.G., Similarities and Differences between Flow Boiling in Microchannels and Pool Boiling, Heat Transfer Engin., 2010, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 159–167.

  4. Kuznetsov, V.V. and Shamirzaev, A.S., Flow Boiling Heat Transfer of Water in Microchannel Heat Sink, J. Eng. Therm., 2012, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 28–35.

  5. Prajapati, Y.K., and Bhandari, P., Flow Boiling Instabilities in Microchannels and Their Promising Solutions—A Review, Exp. Thermal Fluid Sci., 2017, vol. 88, Suppl. C, pp. 576–593.

  6. Wu, H.Y. and Cheng, P., Boiling Instability in Parallel Silicon Microchannels at Different Heat Flux, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2004, vol. 47, nos. 17/18, pp. 3631–3641.

  7. Xu, J., Liu, G., Zhang, W., Li, Q., and Wang, B., Seed Bubbles Stabilize Flow and Heat Transfer in Parallel Microchannels,Int. J. Multiphase Flow, 2009, vol. 35, no. 8, pp. 773–790.

  8. Xu, L. and Xu, J., Nanofluid Stabilizes and Enhances Convective Boiling Heat Transfer in a Single Microchannel, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2012, vol. 55, nos. 21/22, pp. 5673–5686.

  9. Kandlikar, S.G., Willistein, D.A., and Borrelli, J., Experimental Evaluation of Pressure Drop Elements and Fabricated Nucleation Sites for Stabilizing Flow Boiling in Minichannels and Microchannels, ASME 3rd Int. Conf. on Microchannels and Minichannels, 2005, pp. 115–124.

  10. Kuo, C.J. and Peles, Y., Local Measurement of Flow Boiling in Structured Surface Microchannels, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2007, vol. 50, nos. 23/24, pp. 4513–4526.

  11. Wang, G., Cheng, P., and Bergles, A.E., Effects of Inlet/Outlet Configurations on Flow Boiling Instability in Parallel Microchannels,Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2008, vol. 51, nos. 9/10, pp. 2267–2281.

  12. Sitar, A., Sedmak, I., and Golobic, I., Boiling of Water and FC-72 in Microchannels Enhanced with Novel Features, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2012, vol. 55, nos. 23/24, pp. 6446–6457.

  13. Szczukiewicz, S., Borhani, N., and Thome, J.R., Two-Phase Flow Operational Maps for Multi-Microchannel Evaporators, Int. J. Heat Fluid Fl., 2013, vol. 42C, pp. 176–189.

  14. Fu, B.R., Tsou, M.S., and Pan, C., Boiling Heat Transfer and Critical Heat Flux of Ethanol-Water Mixtures Flowing through a Diverging Microchannel with Artificial Cavities, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2012, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 1807–1814.

  15. Lu, C.T. and Pan, C., Convective Boiling in a Parallel Microchannel Heat Sink with a Diverging Cross Section and Artificial Nucleation Sites, Exp. Thermal Fluid Sci., 2011, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 810–815.

  16. Sitar, A. and Golobic, I., Effect of Nucleation Cavities on Enhanced Boiling Heat Transfer in Microchannels, Nanoscale Microscale Therm. Engin., 2016, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 33–50.

  17. Liu, Y., Fletcher, D.F., and Haynes, B.S., On the Importance of Upstream Compressibility in Microchannel Boiling Heat Transfer,Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2013, vol. 58, nos. 1/2, pp. 503–512.

  18. Huang, H., Pan, L.-M., and Yan, R.-G., Flow Characteristics and Instability Analysis of Pressure Drop in Parallel Multiple Microchannels, Appl. Therm. Engin., 2018, vol. 142, pp. 184–193.

  19. Pan, L.-M., Yan, R.-G., Huang, H.-J., He, H., and Li, P.-F., Experimental Study on the Flow Boiling Pressure Drop Characteristics in Parallel Multiple Microchannels, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 2018, vol. 116, pp. 642–654.

  20. Aravinthan, M., Sarkar, S., Dhar, P., Das, S.K., and Balakrishnan, A.R., Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics in Minitubes with and without Hydrophobicity Coating, Heat Transfer Engin., 2018, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 288–301.

  21. Sitar, A., Lebar, A., Crivellari, M., Bagolini, A., and Golobič, I., Oscillations During Flow Boiling in Single Microchannels,Acta Chim. Slovenica, 2018, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 980–988.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    A. Sitar, A. Lebar & I. Golobič

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    A. Lebar

  3. Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Center for Materials and Microsystems, 38123, Trento, Italy

    M. Crivellari & A. Bagolini

Authors
  1. A. Sitar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Lebar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Crivellari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Bagolini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. I. Golobič
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Sitar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sitar, A., Lebar, A., Crivellari, M. et al. Characterization of Oscillations during Flow Boiling of Water in Parallel Microchannels. J. Engin. Thermophys. 29, 338–347 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1810232820020150

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1810232820020150

Search

Navigation