Flow boiling of HFE-7100 in silicon microchannels integrated with multiple micro-nozzles and reentry micro-cavities

Flow boiling of dielectric fluids in microchannels is one of the most desirable cooling solutions for high power electronics. However, the flow boiling of dielectric fluids is hindered by their unfavorable thermophysical properties. Specifically, without precooling dielectric fluids, it is challenging to promote critical heat flux (CHF) due to its high vapor density, low surface tension and the resulted superior wettability. In this study, each side wall of a five-parallel silicon microchannel array was structured with an array of microscale reentry cavities and four micronozzles bypassed by an auxiliary channel. The present microchannel configuration aims to significantly enhance CHF of HFE-7100 flow boiling by improving global liquid supply using auxiliary channels and micrononozzles as well as by sustaining liquid film using capillarity induced by reentry cavity array. Equally important, these structures can promote nucleate boiling at low heat flux, generate intense mixing, and promote thin film evaporation at high heat flux, resulting in high flow boiling heat transfer rate. Flow boiling of HFE-7100 in the present microchannel configuration is characterized with mass flux ranging from 231 kg/m2 s to 1155 kg/m2 s. The effective two-phase heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) are ranging from 6 kW/m2 K to 117 kW/m2 K. Compared to the four-nozzle plain-wall microchannels, for example, the effective HTC and CHF can be substantially enhanced up to 208% and 37%, respectively, without escalating pressure drop at a mass flux of 462 kg/m2 s. Compared to plain microchannels with inlet restrictors, CHF is considerably enhanced up to 70% with a reduction of pressure drop ∼82% at a mass flux of 1155 kg/m2 s. Significantly reduced pressure drop is achieved by integrating bypass and the enhanced confined bubble removal. A peak CHF value of 216 W/cm2 is achieved at mass flux of 2772 kg/m2 s in the present microchannel configuration with inlet temperature at room temperature.