Boiling heat transfer enhancement in subsurface horizontal and vertical tunnels

Complex experimental investigations of boiling heat transfer on structured surfaces covered with perforated foil were taken up. Experimental data were discussed for two kinds of enhanced surfaces formed by joined horizontal and vertical tunnels: tunnel structures (TS) and narrow tunnel structures (NTS). The experiments were carried out with water, ethanol and R-123 at atmospheric pressure. The TS and NTS surfaces were manufactured out of perforated copper foil of 0.05 mm thickness (hole diameters: 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mm) sintered with the mini-fins, formed on the vertical side of the 5 mm high rectangular fins and horizontal inter-fin surface. The effects of hole (pore) diameters, tunnel pitch for TS and tunnel width for NTS on nucleate pool boiling were examined. Substantial enhancement of heat transfer coefficient was observed. The investigated surfaces showed boiling heat transfer coefficients similar to those of existing structures with subsurface tunnels, but at higher heat fluxes range.