When droplets coalesce on a superhydrophobic nanostructured surface, the resulting droplet can jump from the surface due to the release of excess surface energy. If designed properly, these superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces can not only allow for easy droplet removal at micrometric length scales during condensation but also promise to enhance heat transfer performance. However, the rationale for the design of an ideal nanostructured surface as well as heat transfer experiments demonstrating the advantage of this jumping behavior are lacking. Here, we show that silanized copper oxide surfaces created via a simple fabrication method can achieve highly efficient jumping-droplet condensation heat transfer. We experimentally demonstrated a 25% higher overall heat flux and 30% higher condensation heat transfer coefficient compared to state-of-the-art hydrophobic condensing surfaces at low supersaturations (<1.12). This work not only shows significant condensation heat transfer enhancement but also promises a low cost and scalable approach to increase efficiency for applications such as atmospheric water harvesting and dehumidification. Furthermore, the results offer insights and an avenue to achieve high flux superhydrophobic condensation.

Jumping-Droplet-Enhanced Condensation on Scalable Superhydrophobic Nanostructured Surfaces

This paper explores the recent research developments in high-heat-flux thermal management. Cooling schemes such as pool boiling, detachable heat sinks, channel flow boiling, microchannel and mini-channel heat sinks, jet-impingement, and sprays, are discussed and compared relative to heat dissipation potential, reliability, and packaging concerns. It is demonstrated that, while different cooling options can be tailored to the specific needs of individual applications, system considerations always play a paramount role in determining the most suitable cooling scheme. It is also shown that extensive fundamental electronic cooling knowledge has been amassed over the past two decades. Yet there is now a growing need for hardware innovations rather than perturbations to those fundamental studies. An example of these innovations is the cooling of military avionics, where research findings from the electronic cooling literature have made possible the development of a new generation of cooling hardware which promise order of magnitude increases in heat dissipation compared to today's cutting edge avionics cooling schemes.

Assessment of high-heat-flux thermal management schemes

Heat-transfer correlations for natural convection boiling

Liquid–vapour phase change is a useful and efficient process to transfer energy in nature, as well as in numerous domestic and industrial applications. Relatively recent advances in altering surface chemistry, and in the formation of micro- and nanoscale features on surfaces, have led to exciting improvements in liquid–vapour phase-change performance and better understanding of the underlying science. In this Review, we present an overview of the surface, thermal and material science to illustrate how new materials and designs can improve boiling and condensation. There are many parallels between boiling and condensation, such as nucleation of a phase and its departure from a surface; however, the particular set of challenges associated with each phenomenon results in different material designs used in different manners. We also discuss alternative techniques, such as introducing heterogeneous surface chemistry or direct real-time manipulation of the phase-change process, which can offer further control of heat-transfer processes. Finally, long-term robustness is essential to ensure reliability and feasibility but remains a key challenge. Recent works in boiling and condensation have achieved unprecedented performance and revealed new mechanistic insights that will aid in material design. In this Review, we focus on nanoengineered materials, with emphasis on further improving the heat-transfer performance and long-term robustness.

Nanoengineered materials for liquid–vapour phase-change heat transfer

Review of pool boiling enhancement by surface modification

Pool boiling heat-transfer measurements were made using a 15.8 mm o.d. plain copper tube and three copper enhanced surfaces: a Union Carbide High Flux surface, a Hitachi Thermoexcell-E surface and a Wieland Gewa-T surface. The dielectric fluids were Freon-113 and Fluorinert FC-72, a perfluorinated organic compound manufactured to cool electronic equipment. Data were taken at atmospheric pressure, and at heat fluxes from 100 W/m/sup 2/ to 200,000 W/m/sup 2/. Prior to operation, each test surface was subjected to one of three aging procedures to observe the effect of surface past history upon boiling incipience. For Freon-113 the enhanced surfaces showed a two to tenfold increase in the heat-transfer coefficient when compared to a plain tube, whereas for FC-72 an increase of two to five was measured. The High Flux surface gave the best performance over the range of heat fluxes. The Gewa-T surface did not show as much of an enhancement at low fluxes as the other two surfaces, but at high fluxes its performance improved. In fact, it was the only surface tested which delayed the onset of film boiling with FC-72. The degree of superheat required to activate the enhanced surfaces was sensitive to both past history ofmore » the surface and to fluid properties.« less

Pool Boiling Heat Transfer From Enhanced Surfaces to Dielectric Fluids

Evaluation of organic coatings for the promotion of dropwise condensation of steam

Hydrophobic coatings have been created through self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold, copper, and copper-nickel alloy surfaces that enhance steam condensation through dropwise condensation. The monolayer is formed by chemisorption of alkylthiols on these metal surfaces. Due to their negligible thickness (10-15 A), SAMs have negligible heat transfer resistance, and involve a minuscule amount of the organic material to pose any contamination problem to the system from erosion of the coating. The coating was applied directly to copper and 90/10 copper-nickel tubes, and to previously gold-sputtered aluminum tubes. The quality of the drops on SAMs, based on visual observation, was found to be similar for the three surfaces, with the gold surface showing a slight superiority. When compared to complete filmwise condensation, the SAM coating increased the condensation heat transfer coefficient by factors of 4 for gold-coated aluminum, and by about 5 for copper and copper-nickel tubes, under vacuum operation (10 kPa). The respective enhancements under atmospheric conditions were about 9 and 14. Comparatively, the heat transfer coefficient obtained with a bare gold surface (with no organic coating) was 2.5 times that of the filmwise condensation heat transfer coefficient under vacuum, and 3.4 at atmospheric conditions.

The Use of an Organic Self-Assembled Monolayer Coating to Promote Dropwise Condensation of Steam on Horizontal Tubes

Nucleate pool boiling of R-114 and R-114-oil mixtures from smooth and enhanced surfaces—I. Single tubes

Fourteen polymer coatings were evaluated for their ability to promote and sustain dropwise condensation of steam. Nine of the coatings employed a fluoropolymer as a major constituent; four employed hydrocarbons and one a silicone. Each coating was applied to 25-mm-square by approximately 1-mm-thick metal substrates of brass, copper, copper-nickel, and titanium. While exposed to steam at atmospheric pressure, each coating was visually evaluated for its ability to promote dropwise condensation. Observations were also conduction over a period of 22,000 hr. Hardness and adhesion tests were performed on selected specimens, On the basis of sustained performance, six coatings were selected for application to the outside of 19-mm-dia copper tubes in order to perform a heat transfer evaluation. These tubes were mounted horizontally in a separate apparatus through which steam flowed vertically downward. Steam-side heat transfer coefficients were inferred from overall measurements. Test results indicate that the steam-side heat transfer coefficient can be increased by a factor of five to eight through the use of polymer coatings to promote dropwise condensation.

P. J. Marto

Papers

Pool Boiling Heat Transfer From Enhanced Surfaces to Dielectric Fluids

Evaluation of organic coatings for the promotion of dropwise condensation of steam

The Use of an Organic Self-Assembled Monolayer Coating to Promote Dropwise Condensation of Steam on Horizontal Tubes

Nucleate pool boiling of R-114 and R-114-oil mixtures from smooth and enhanced surfaces—I. Single tubes

The Use of Organic Coatings to Promote Dropwise Condensation of Steam