Safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants is the basic requirement for the utilization of nuclear energy since accidents can release radioactivity and with that cause irreversible damage to human beings. Reliability and safety of nuclear reactors are highly dependent on the stability of thermal hydraulic processes occurring in them. Nucleate boiling occurs in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) as well as in their passive safety systems during an accident. Passive safety systems are solely driven by thermal gradients and gravitational force removing residual heat from the reactor core independent of any external power supply in the case of accidents. Instability of flow boiling in these passive circuits can cause flow oscillations. These oscillations may induce insufficient local cooling and mechanical loads, which threatens the reactors’ safety. Analysis of boiling two-phase flow and associated heat and mass transfer requires an accurate modeling of flow regime transitions and prediction of boiling parameters such as void fraction, steam bubble sizes, heat transfer coefficient, etc. Flow boiling has been intensively investigated through experiments, one-dimensional codes, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods. Costly hardware and no accessibility to all locations in complex geometries restrict the experimental investigation of flow boiling. Since one-dimensional codes such as ATHLET, RELAP and TRACE are ”lumped parameter” codes, they are unable to simulate complex flow boiling transition patterns. In the last decades, with the development of supercomputers, CFD has been considered as a useful tool to model heat and mass transfer occurring in flow boiling regimes. In many industrial applications and system designs, CFD codes and particularly the Eulerian-Eulerian (E-E) two-fluid model are quickly replacing the experimental and analytical methods. However, the application of this approach for flow boiling modelling poses a challenge for the development of bubble dynamics and wall boiling models to predict heat and mass transfer at the heating wall as well as phase-change mechanism. Many empirical and mechanistic models have been proposed for bubble dynamics modelling. Nevertheless, the validity of these models for only a narrow range of operating conditions and their uncertainties limit their applicability and consequently presently necessitate us to calibrate them for a given boundary condition via calibration factors. For that reason, the first aim of this thesis is the development of a bubble dynamics model for subcooled boiling flow, which needs no calibration factor to predict the bubble growth and detachment. This mechanistic model is formulated based on the force balance approach, physics of a single nucleated bubble and several well-developed models to cover the whole bubble life cycle including formation, growth and departure. This model considers dynamic inclination angle and contact angles between the bubble and the heating wall as well as the contribution of microlayer evaporation, thermal diffusion and condensation around the bubble cap. Validation against four experimental flow boiling data sets was conducted with no case-dependent recalibration and yielded good agreement. The second goal is the implementation of the developed bubble dynamics model in the E-E two-fluid model as a sub-model to improve the accuracy of boiling flow simulation and reduce the case dependency. This implementation requires an extension of the nucleation site activation and wall heat-partitioning models. The bubble dynamics and heat-partitioning models were coupled with the Population Balance Model (PBM) to handle bubble interactions and predict the Bubble Size Distribution (BSD). In addition, the contribution of bubble sliding to wall heat transfer, which has been rarely considered in other modelling approaches, is considered. Validation for model implementation in the E-E two-fluid model was made with ten experimental cases including R12 and R134a flow boiling in a pipe and an annulus. These test cases cover a wide range of operating parameters such as wall heat flux, fluid velocity, subcooling temperature and pressure. The validated parameters were the bubble diameter, void fraction, bubble velocity, Interfacial Area Density (IAD), bubble passing frequency, liquid and wall temperatures. Two-phase flow morphologies for an upward flow in a vertical heating pipe may change from bubbly to slug, plug, and annular flow. Since these flow patterns have a great impact on the heat and mass transfer rates, an accurate prediction of them is critical. The aim of this thesis is the implementation of the developed bubble dynamics and heat-partitioning models in the recently developed GENeralized TwO-Phase flow (GENTOP) framework for the modelling of these flow patterns transition as well. An adopted wall heat-partitioning model for high void fractions is presented and for a generic test case, flow boiling regimes of water in a vertical heating pipe were modelled using ANSYS CFX 18.2. Moreover, the impacts of wall superheat, subcooling temperature and fluid velocity on the flow boiling transition patterns and the effects of these patterns on the wall heat transfer coefficient were evaluated.:Nomenclature xi 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background and motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1.3 Outline of the thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 State-of-the-art in modelling of subcooled flow boiling 11 2.1 Physics of boiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2.2 Bubble growth modelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.3 CFD simulation of boiling flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.3.1 The Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid model . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.3.2 The Population Balance Model (PBM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.3.3 Governing equations of the two-fluid model . . . . . . . . . . 25 2.3.4 Closure models for adiabatic bubbly flow . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 2.3.5 Phase transfer models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.3.6 The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) wall boiling model 37 2.4 Flow boiling transition patterns in vertical pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 2.5 The GENeralized TwO-Phase flow (GENTOP) concept . . . . . . . . . 45 2.5.1 Treatment of the continuous gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 2.5.2 The Algebraic Interfacial Area Density (AIAD) model . . . . . 46 2.6 Interfacial transfers of continuous gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 2.6.1 Drag and lift forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 2.6.2 Cluster and surface tension forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 2.6.3 Complete coalescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 2.6.4 Entrainment modelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.6.5 Turbulence modelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.7 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 3 An improved bubble dynamics model for flow boiling 55 3.1 Modelling of the bubble formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 3.1.1 Bubble growth rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 3.1.2 Force balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 ix 3.1.3 Detachment criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 3.1.4 Wall heat flux model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 3.1.5 Heat transfer in the heating wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 3.2 Results and discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 3.2.1 Discretization dependency study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 3.2.2 Model validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 3.2.3 Sensitivity analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 3.3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 4 An improved wall heat-partitioning model 85 4.1 The cavity group activation model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 4.1.1 Bubble sliding length and influence area . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 4.1.2 Model implementation in the Eulerian-Eulerian framework . . 89 4.2 Results and discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 4.2.1 DEBORA experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 4.2.2 Subcooled flow boiling of R134a in an annulus . . . . . . . . 102 4.3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 5 Modelling of flow boiling patterns in vertical pipes 115 5.1 Adopted wall heat-partitioning model for high void fractions . . . . . 115 5.2 Results and discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 5.2.1 Effect of wall superheat on the flow boiling transition patterns 118 5.2.2 Effect of flow morphologies on the wall heat transfer coefficient124 5.2.3 Comparison of GENTOP and Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 5.2.4 Effect of subcooling on the flow boiling transition patterns . . 129 5.2.5 Effect of inlet fluid velocity on the flow boiling transition patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 5.3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 6 Conclusions and outlook 133 6.1 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 6.2 Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 References 137 Declaration 155

Heat management in high thermal-density systems such as CPU chips, nuclear reactors and compact heat exchangers is confronting rising challenges due to ever more miniaturized and intensified processes. While searching for heat transfer enhancement, micro-channel flow boiling and the usage of high thermal potential fluids such as nanofluids are found to be efficient heat removal approaches. However, the limited understanding of micro-scale multiphase flows impedes wider applications of these techniques. In this thesis work, liquid-vapour phase change and multiphase flow heat transfer in micro-channels were experimentally investigated. Included are studies on the single phase friction, vapour dynamics, liquid meniscus evaporation, two-phase flow instabilities and heat transfer. An experimental system was built. Rectangular microchannels with different hydraulic diameters (571 μm, 762 μm and 1454 μm) and crosssectional aspect ratios were selected. Transparent heating was utilised by coating the micro-channels with a layer of tantalum on the outer surfaces. FC-72, n-pentane, ethanol, and ethanol-based Al2O3 nanofluids were used as working fluids. Pressures and temperatures at micro-channel inlet and outlet were acquired. Simultaneous visualisation and thermographic profiles were monitored. Single phase friction of pure liquids and nanofluids mostly showed good agreement with the conventional theory. The discrepancies were associated with hydrodynamic developing flow and the early transition to turbulent flow, but nanoparticle concentration showed minor impact. After boiling incipient, the single vapour bubble growth and flow regimes were investigated, exploring the influences of flow and thermal conditions as well as the micro-channel geometry on vapour dynamics. In addition, liquid meniscus evaporation as the main heat transfer approach at thin liquid films in micro-channels was studied particularly. Nanoparticles largely enhanced meniscus stability. Besides, flow instabilities were analyzed based on the pressure drop and channel surface temperature fluctuations as well as the synchronous visualization results. Moreover, study on flow boiling heat transfer was undertaken, the corresponding heat transfer characteristics were presented and the heat transfer mechanisms were elucidated. Furthermore, ten existing heat transfer correlations were assessed. A modified heat transfer correlation for high aspect ratio micro-channel flow boiling was proposed. The crucial role of liquid property and microchannel aspect-ratio on flow boiling heat transfer was highlighted.

Flow boiling in microchannels, while very promising as a cooling technology in electronics thermal management, is still a subject being explored that requires further investigation. Before applying this technology for high heat flux computer chip cooling, challenging issues such as fully understanding boiling mechanisms in confined spaces, extending and stabilising the nucleate boiling regime, suppressing flow boiling instabilities, maintaining uniform flow distribution among microchannels, have to be addressed. If flow boiling is to be used as a thermal management method for high heat flux electronics it is necessary to understand the behaviour of a non-uniform heat distribution, which is typically the case observed in a real operating computer chip. In this study, flow boiling of deionised water in a silicon microchannel heat sink under uniform and non-uniform heating has been investigated with particular attention to flow boiling instabilities. An experimental system was designed and constructed to carry out the experimental investigations. The experimental heat sink consisting of forty parallel rectangular microchannels with 194 μm hydraulic diameter together with integrated inlet and outlet manifold was fabricated on a silicon wafer using inductive coupled plasma dry etching, in conjunction with photolithographic techniques. A design with integrated temperature sensors made from a thin nickel film allows local temperature measurements with a much faster response time and smaller thermal resistance as compared to temperature measurements using thermocouples. The integrated heater was designed to enable either uniform or non-uniform heating (hotspot investigation) with a low thermal resistance between the heater and the channels. Numerical simulations for single phase flow in adiabatic conditions were used to assist the design of the manifold geometry in the microchannels heat sink. Microfabricated temperature sensors were used together with simultaneous high speed imaging in order to obtain a better insight related to temperature fluctuations caused by two-phase flow instabilities under uniform and non-uniform heating. Two types of two-phase instabilities with flow reversal were identified and classified into flow stability maps. The effect of inlet water temperature on flow boiling instabilities was experimentally studied, with the influence of different subcooling conditions on the magnitude of temperatures as well as the influence on temperature uniformity over the heat sink being assessed. The effect of various hotspot locations on flow boiling instabilities has been investigated, with hotspots located in different positions along the heat sink. Bubble growth and departure size have been experimentally investigated. The results of this study demonstrate that bubble growth in microchannels is different from that in macroscale channels. Furthermore, the effects of bubble dynamics on flow instabilities and heat transfer coefficient have been investigated and discussed.

Dissipadores de calor baseados em microcanais são apresentados como solução para a remoção de fluxos de calor elevados em espaços restritos, pois proporcionam elevados coeficientes de transferência de calor quando comparados a canais convencionais. Tais trocadores também proporcionam elevadas razões entre a área superficial em contato com o refrigerante por unidade de volume do dissipador. Além dos microcanais, a utilização de nanofluidos também se apresenta como tecnologia com potencial de incremento do coeficiente de transferência de calor. Os nanofluidos consistem na adição de nanopartículas a um fluido base visando alterar suas propriedades de transporte termodinâmicas. Neste contexto, o objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o coeficiente de transferência de calor para escoamentos monofásicos e ebulição convectiva de nanofluidos aquosos no interior de microcanais. Para isto, foram realizados experimentos em canais com diâmetro de 1,1 mm e comprimento de 200 mm para água deionizada, nanofluidos de alumina com diâmetros de 20-30 e 40-80 nm, nanofluidos de dióxido de silício com diâmetros de 15 e 80 nm, e nanofluidos de cobre com diâmetro de 25 nm. Estas soluções foram ensaiadas para concentrações volumétricas de nanopartículas de 0,001, 0,01 e 0,1, velocidades mássicas de 200, 400 e 600 kg/m2s e fluxos de calor de 20 a 350 kW/m2. A análise dos resultados revelou que a adição de nanopartículas a água deionizada proporciona o incremento do número de Nusselt para escoamentos monofásicos, principalmente na região inicial do tubo. Concluiu-se que os efeitos da adição de nanopartículas a um fluido base no coeficiente de transferência de calor durante a ebulição convectiva estão relacionados ao recobrimento da superfície com uma camada porosa. A deposição de nanopartículas com diâmetro inferior a 30 nm resultou na redução do coeficiente de transferência de calor e das instabilidades térmicas do escoamento em relação a água deionizada. O coeficiente de transferência de calor e as instabilidades térmicas não apresentaram variações significativas da deposição de nanopartículas com diâmetro superior a 40 nm. Por meio da análise da textura das superfícies recobertas e do critério de nucleação proposto por Kandlikar et al. (1997) concluiu-se que tal comportamento encontra-se associado aos efeitos do acabamento superficial na densidade de cavidades de nucleação ativas. / Microchannels based heat exchangers were introduced as a solution to high heat flux removal in restrict spaces due to their high heat transfer coefficients compared to heat exchangers based on conventional channels. The high ratio of surface are per volume is an additional advantage to microchannels in relation to conventional channels. Beside the microchannels technology, the nanofluids also present itself as a technique with potential to increase the heat transfer coefficient. Nanofluids consist of a solution containing nanoparticles dispersed in a base fluid with the goal to improve its thermodynamic and transport properties. In this context, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the heat transfer coefficient for single-phase flow and convective boiling of aqueous nanofluids inside microchannels. Experiments were performed for channels with internal diameter of 1.1mm and 200 mm long for DI-water, nanofluids containing alumina- (nanoparticles diameters of 20-30 and 40-80 nm), silicon dioxide (nanoparticles diameters of 15 and 80 nm), and copper (nanoparticles diameter of 25 nm). These solutions were evaluated for volumetric concentrations of 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1%, mass velocities of 200, 400 and 600 kg/m2s and heat fluxes from 20 to 350 kW/m2. The analysis of the results revealed that the addition of nanoparticles to DI-water causes an increment in the Nusselt number for single phase flows, especially at the inlet of the tube. The results for flow boiling indicated that the effects of adding nanoparticles to the base fluid are related to the deposition on the heating surface of a nanoparticles porous layer due to the boiling process. The deposition of nanoparticles smaller than 30 nm promoted a reduction of the heat transfer coefficient compared to DI-water on a clean surface, and thermal instabilities were minimized. For the deposition of nanoparticles larger than 40 nm these parameters did not presented significant variations in comparison to DI-water. A combined analysis of the surfaces finishing and the criterion of Kandlikar et al. (1997) for bubble nucleation revealed that such behaviors are correlated to the effects of the surface texture associated to the boiling process on the density of active nucleation cavities.

A presente tese envolve um estudo experimental da ebulição convectiva no interior de um dissipador de calor baseado em multi-microcanais. Resultados experimentais para perda de pressão e coeficiente de transferência de calor foram levantados para os hidrocarbonetos R600a (isobutano), R290 (propano) e R1270 (propileno), fluidos com reduzido GWP (Global Warming Potential) e ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) nulo. O desempenho termo-hidráulico destes fluidos foi avaliado em um dissipador de calor de cobre, contendo cinquenta canais paralelos com seção transversal retangular de 123x494 µm2 , 15 mm de comprimento e área de base de 15x15 mm2. Os experimentos foram realizados para fluxos de calor de até 400 kW/m2, velocidade mássica variando entre 165 e 823 kg/m2s, graus de sub-resfriamento do líquido na entrada da seção de testes de 5, 10 e 15°C e temperaturas de saturação de 21 e 25°C. Os dados experimentais foram amplamente analisados e discutidos, focando o efeito do fluido refrigerante. Oscilações dos sinais de temperatura e pressão foram analisadas parametricamente visando caracterizar efeitos de instabilidades térmicas. Adicionalmente, realizou-se análise comparativa de desempenho dos refrigerantes baseada na 2ª Lei da Termodinâmica. Os dados para hidrocarbonetos foram comparados com resultados de trabalhos prévios para o refrigerante R134a levantados na mesma seção de testes e utilizando a mesma bancada experimental. A partir destes dados, conclui-se que os hidrocarbonetos proporcionam coeficientes de transferência de calor superiores ao R134a. Em geral, o coeficiente de transferência de calor apresenta a seguinte ordem decrescente: R290, R1270, R600a e R134a. No entanto, o R290 necessitou superaquecimentos da parede superiores ao R1270 para iniciar o processo de ebulição. O refrigerante R1270 proporcionou perdas de pressão totais inferiores aos demais fluidos segundo a seguinte ordem decrescente: R600a, R134a, R290 e R1270. O refrigerante R1270 apresentou frequências de oscilação inferiores na temperatura da câmara de saída. Baseado na análise de desempenho da 2ª Lei da Termodinâmica, conclui-se que, as irreversibilidades devido ao processo de transferência de calor foram predominantes quando comparadas àquelas devido à perda de pressão. Através desta análise também constatou-se o melhor desempenho para o refrigerante R290. / The present thesis concerns an experimental study on flow boiling inside a microchannel array. Experimental results for two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient were acquired for the hydrocarbons R600a (isobutane), R290 (propane) and R1270 (propylene). These fluids present low Global Warming Potential (GWP) and null Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP). The cooling performance of these hydrocarbons were evaluated for a copper heat sink containing fifty parallel microchannels. The microchannels are rectangular with cross section of 123x494 µm2, 15 mm length and a footprint area of 15x15 mm2. The experimental evaluation was performed in a test facility located at the Laboratory of Thermal and Fluid Engineering of School of Engineering of São Carlos, University of Sao Paulo. The experiments were performed for heat fluxes up to 400 kW/m2, mass velocities from 165 to 823 kg/m2s, degrees of liquid subcooling at the test section inlet of 5, 10 and 15°C and saturation temperatures of 21 and 25°C. The experimental data were carefully analyzed and discussed focusing on the effects of the fluid on the heat sink thermal hydraulic performance. Fluctuations in the temperature and pressure were analyzed parametrically in order to evaluate thermal instability effects. Additionally, an exergy analysis was performed to evaluate the refrigerant efficiency during convective evaporation. Subsequently, the parametric effects and performance of hydrocarbons were compared with previous results for refrigerant R134a obtained in the same test facility and under the same experimental conditions. The refrigerant R290 provided heat transfer coefficients higher than R600a and R1270. However, R290 needed a degree of wall superheating for the onset of nucleate boiling higher than R1270. Based on the exergy analysis it was concluded that, the irreversibility associated to the heat transfer process are predominant compared with the irreversibility due to the pressure drop. According to the Second Law analyses it was also concluded R290 as the fluid providing the best performance.

Les écoulements diphasiques avec ou sans changement de phase sont présents dans les applications terrestres et spatiales avec notamment le contrôle thermique des satellites par boucle diphasique, l’alimentation en propergol des moteurs de fusée et le traitement des eaux usées pour les missions d’exploration spatiale. Des expériences d’ébullition convective dans un tube chauffé avec du HFE7000 ont été menées en écoulement vertical ascendant au sol et en microgravité conditions afin de caractériser les régimes d’écoulements et de mesurer les transferts de chaleur, le taux de vide et les pertes de pression. Les mesures de taux de vide ont permis de caractériser la vitesse moyenne de la phase vapeur et l’épaisseur du film liquide en écoulement annulaire. En microgravité, l’épaisseur du film liquide et le frottement interfacial sont inférieurs aux conditions de gravité terrestre. La structure du film liquide a été caractérisée par des visualisation rapides. L’impact de la gravité, des vitesses superficielles du liquide et de la vapeur sur la célérité et la fréquence des ondes perturbatrices a été mis en évidence. Deux techniques de mesure ont été implémentées et comparées pour la mesure du coefficient d’échange de chaleur. En ébullition convective saturée pour des titres massiques supérieurs à 0.2, le transfert de chaleur est peu sensible à la gravité et en bon accord avec des corrélations de la littérature. En ébullition nucléée sous refroidie pour des titres inférieurs à 0.1, le transfert de chaleur est significativement plus faible en microgravité. / Two-phase flows with or without phase change are present in terrestrial and space applications like thermal control of satellites, propellant supply for launchers, and waste water treatment for space exploration missions. Flow boiling experiment with HFE7000 were conducted in a heated tube in vertical upward flow on ground and in microgravity conditions to collect data on flow patterns, pressure drops, heat transfers, void fraction. Void fraction measurements allowed to measure mean gas velocity and the liquid film thickness in annular flow. In microgravity condition, the liquid film thickness and the interfacial shear stress are significantly lower than in normal gravity. A detail analysis of the film structure was performed by image processing. The impact of gravity and liquid and vapour superficial velocities on the disturbance waves velocities and frequencies was investigated. Two different measurement techniques were used and compared to determine the heat transfer coefficient. For quality values greater than 0.2, HTC is not sensitive to gravity and is in good agreement with classical correlations of the literature. For qualities smaller than 0.1, in the subcooled nucleate boiling regime HTC is significantly smaller in microgravityconditions.

abstract: Microchannel heat sinks can possess heat transfer characteristics unavailable in conventional heat exchangers; such sinks offer compact solutions to otherwise intractable thermal management problems, notably in small-scale electronics cooling. Flow boiling in microchannels allows a very high heat transfer rate, but is bounded by the critical heat flux (CHF). This thesis presents a theoretical-numerical study of a method to improve the heat rejection capability of a microchannel heat sink via expansion of the channel cross-section along the flow direction. The thermodynamic quality of the refrigerant increases during flow boiling, decreasing the density of the bulk coolant as it flows. This may effect pressure fluctuations in the channels, leading to nonuniform heat transfer and local dryout in regions exceeding CHF. This undesirable phenomenon is counteracted by permitting the cross-section of the microchannel to increase along the direction of flow, allowing more volume for the vapor. Governing equations are derived from a control-volume analysis of a single heated rectangular microchannel; the cross-section is allowed to expand in width and height. The resulting differential equations are solved numerically for a variety of channel expansion profiles and numbers of channels. The refrigerant is R-134a and channel parameters are based on a physical test bed in a related experiment. Significant improvement in CHF is possible with moderate area expansion. Minimal additional manufacturing costs could yield major gains in the utility of microchannel heat sinks. An optimum expansion rate occurred in certain cases, and alterations in the channel width are, in general, more effective at improving CHF than alterations in the channel height. Modest expansion in height enables small width expansions to be very effective. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Mechanical Engineering 2011

A presente tese envolve um estudo experimental da ebulição convectiva no interior de um dissipador de calor baseado em multi-microcanais. Resultados experimentais para perda de pressão e coeficiente de transferência de calor foram levantados para os hidrocarbonetos R600a (isobutano), R290 (propano) e R1270 (propileno), fluidos com reduzido GWP (Global Warming Potential) e ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) nulo. O desempenho termo-hidráulico destes fluidos foi avaliado em um dissipador de calor de cobre, contendo cinquenta canais paralelos com seção transversal retangular de 123x494 µm2 , 15 mm de comprimento e área de base de 15x15 mm2. Os experimentos foram realizados para fluxos de calor de até 400 kW/m2, velocidade mássica variando entre 165 e 823 kg/m2s, graus de sub-resfriamento do líquido na entrada da seção de testes de 5, 10 e 15°C e temperaturas de saturação de 21 e 25°C. Os dados experimentais foram amplamente analisados e discutidos, focando o efeito do fluido refrigerante. Oscilações dos sinais de temperatura e pressão foram analisadas parametricamente visando caracterizar efeitos de instabilidades térmicas. Adicionalmente, realizou-se análise comparativa de desempenho dos refrigerantes baseada na 2ª Lei da Termodinâmica. Os dados para hidrocarbonetos foram comparados com resultados de trabalhos prévios para o refrigerante R134a levantados na mesma seção de testes e utilizando a mesma bancada experimental. A partir destes dados, conclui-se que os hidrocarbonetos proporcionam coeficientes de transferência de calor superiores ao R134a. Em geral, o coeficiente de transferência de calor apresenta a seguinte ordem decrescente: R290, R1270, R600a e R134a. No entanto, o R290 necessitou superaquecimentos da parede superiores ao R1270 para iniciar o processo de ebulição. O refrigerante R1270 proporcionou perdas de pressão totais inferiores aos demais fluidos segundo a seguinte ordem decrescente: R600a, R134a, R290 e R1270. O refrigerante R1270 apresentou frequências de oscilação inferiores na temperatura da câmara de saída. Baseado na análise de desempenho da 2ª Lei da Termodinâmica, conclui-se que, as irreversibilidades devido ao processo de transferência de calor foram predominantes quando comparadas àquelas devido à perda de pressão. Através desta análise também constatou-se o melhor desempenho para o refrigerante R290. / The present thesis concerns an experimental study on flow boiling inside a microchannel array. Experimental results for two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient were acquired for the hydrocarbons R600a (isobutane), R290 (propane) and R1270 (propylene). These fluids present low Global Warming Potential (GWP) and null Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP). The cooling performance of these hydrocarbons were evaluated for a copper heat sink containing fifty parallel microchannels. The microchannels are rectangular with cross section of 123x494 µm2, 15 mm length and a footprint area of 15x15 mm2. The experimental evaluation was performed in a test facility located at the Laboratory of Thermal and Fluid Engineering of School of Engineering of São Carlos, University of Sao Paulo. The experiments were performed for heat fluxes up to 400 kW/m2, mass velocities from 165 to 823 kg/m2s, degrees of liquid subcooling at the test section inlet of 5, 10 and 15°C and saturation temperatures of 21 and 25°C. The experimental data were carefully analyzed and discussed focusing on the effects of the fluid on the heat sink thermal hydraulic performance. Fluctuations in the temperature and pressure were analyzed parametrically in order to evaluate thermal instability effects. Additionally, an exergy analysis was performed to evaluate the refrigerant efficiency during convective evaporation. Subsequently, the parametric effects and performance of hydrocarbons were compared with previous results for refrigerant R134a obtained in the same test facility and under the same experimental conditions. The refrigerant R290 provided heat transfer coefficients higher than R600a and R1270. However, R290 needed a degree of wall superheating for the onset of nucleate boiling higher than R1270. Based on the exergy analysis it was concluded that, the irreversibility associated to the heat transfer process are predominant compared with the irreversibility due to the pressure drop. According to the Second Law analyses it was also concluded R290 as the fluid providing the best performance.

Dissipadores de calor baseados em microcanais são apresentados como solução para a remoção de fluxos de calor elevados em espaços restritos, pois proporcionam elevados coeficientes de transferência de calor quando comparados a canais convencionais. Tais trocadores também proporcionam elevadas razões entre a área superficial em contato com o refrigerante por unidade de volume do dissipador. Além dos microcanais, a utilização de nanofluidos também se apresenta como tecnologia com potencial de incremento do coeficiente de transferência de calor. Os nanofluidos consistem na adição de nanopartículas a um fluido base visando alterar suas propriedades de transporte termodinâmicas. Neste contexto, o objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o coeficiente de transferência de calor para escoamentos monofásicos e ebulição convectiva de nanofluidos aquosos no interior de microcanais. Para isto, foram realizados experimentos em canais com diâmetro de 1,1 mm e comprimento de 200 mm para água deionizada, nanofluidos de alumina com diâmetros de 20-30 e 40-80 nm, nanofluidos de dióxido de silício com diâmetros de 15 e 80 nm, e nanofluidos de cobre com diâmetro de 25 nm. Estas soluções foram ensaiadas para concentrações volumétricas de nanopartículas de 0,001, 0,01 e 0,1, velocidades mássicas de 200, 400 e 600 kg/m2s e fluxos de calor de 20 a 350 kW/m2. A análise dos resultados revelou que a adição de nanopartículas a água deionizada proporciona o incremento do número de Nusselt para escoamentos monofásicos, principalmente na região inicial do tubo. Concluiu-se que os efeitos da adição de nanopartículas a um fluido base no coeficiente de transferência de calor durante a ebulição convectiva estão relacionados ao recobrimento da superfície com uma camada porosa. A deposição de nanopartículas com diâmetro inferior a 30 nm resultou na redução do coeficiente de transferência de calor e das instabilidades térmicas do escoamento em relação a água deionizada. O coeficiente de transferência de calor e as instabilidades térmicas não apresentaram variações significativas da deposição de nanopartículas com diâmetro superior a 40 nm. Por meio da análise da textura das superfícies recobertas e do critério de nucleação proposto por Kandlikar et al. (1997) concluiu-se que tal comportamento encontra-se associado aos efeitos do acabamento superficial na densidade de cavidades de nucleação ativas. / Microchannels based heat exchangers were introduced as a solution to high heat flux removal in restrict spaces due to their high heat transfer coefficients compared to heat exchangers based on conventional channels. The high ratio of surface are per volume is an additional advantage to microchannels in relation to conventional channels. Beside the microchannels technology, the nanofluids also present itself as a technique with potential to increase the heat transfer coefficient. Nanofluids consist of a solution containing nanoparticles dispersed in a base fluid with the goal to improve its thermodynamic and transport properties. In this context, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the heat transfer coefficient for single-phase flow and convective boiling of aqueous nanofluids inside microchannels. Experiments were performed for channels with internal diameter of 1.1mm and 200 mm long for DI-water, nanofluids containing alumina- (nanoparticles diameters of 20-30 and 40-80 nm), silicon dioxide (nanoparticles diameters of 15 and 80 nm), and copper (nanoparticles diameter of 25 nm). These solutions were evaluated for volumetric concentrations of 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1%, mass velocities of 200, 400 and 600 kg/m2s and heat fluxes from 20 to 350 kW/m2. The analysis of the results revealed that the addition of nanoparticles to DI-water causes an increment in the Nusselt number for single phase flows, especially at the inlet of the tube. The results for flow boiling indicated that the effects of adding nanoparticles to the base fluid are related to the deposition on the heating surface of a nanoparticles porous layer due to the boiling process. The deposition of nanoparticles smaller than 30 nm promoted a reduction of the heat transfer coefficient compared to DI-water on a clean surface, and thermal instabilities were minimized. For the deposition of nanoparticles larger than 40 nm these parameters did not presented significant variations in comparison to DI-water. A combined analysis of the surfaces finishing and the criterion of Kandlikar et al. (1997) for bubble nucleation revealed that such behaviors are correlated to the effects of the surface texture associated to the boiling process on the density of active nucleation cavities.

The current study is a part of a long term experimental project devoted to investigate flow boiling heat transfer, pressure drop and flow visualization of R134a in small to mini/micro-diameter tubes. The experimental facility was first designed and constructed by X. Huo (2005) with the contribution of L. Chen (2006). In the present study, the experimental facility was upgraded by changing the heating system from AC to DC heating and also upgrading the logging system through using a faster data logger and developing a new Labview program. The objectives of the current study include (i) contribute in identifying the reasons behind the wide scatter in the published flow boiling heat transfer results, (ii) contribute in understanding the fundamentals of flow boiling heat transfer in mini/micro-diameter tubes and (iii) evaluation of the existing heat transfer and pressure drop prediction methods. Two sizes of stainless steel tubes were investigated in the current study; 0.52 mm and 1.1 mm diameter. In the current study, the 0.52 mm tube was roughly called a “micro-tube” whilst the 1.1 mm tubes were called “mini-tubes”. The present study proposes two possible reasons for the scatter in the published heat transfer results. The first reason is the variations in the heated length from one study to another–there is no criterion for choosing the heated length. The second reason is the variations in the inner surface characteristics of the channels from one study to another. These two important parameters were not taken into consideration by researchers in the past studies. Accordingly, the effect of the heated length was investigated in the current study using a seamless cold drawn tube with diameter of 1.1 mm and heated length ranging from 150 to 450 mm. The effect of the tube inner surface was also tested here by conducting the test in two stainless steel tubes with diameter of 1.1 mm and manufactured by two different processes. The first tube was manufactured by welding technique whilst the second tube was a seamless cold drawn tube. Both tubes were identical in design and dimensions. The inner surface of each tube was examined first using SEM analysis and demonstrated that, the surface morphology is completely different. The local heat transfer coefficient was determined through measuring the local wall temperature using 14 K-type thermocouples attached to the wall using thermally conducting but electrically insulating epoxy supplied by Omega. Pressure drop was measured directly across the heated section and a high speed camera was used for the flow visualization at 1000 frames/s. All measurements were recorded after the system attained steady state. The experimental conditions include mass flux range of 100 – 500 kg/m2 s, system pressure range of 6 – 10 bar, inlet sub-cooling of about 5K and exit quality up to about 0.9. The most frequently observed flow regimes in the 0.52 mm tube were found to be slug (elongated bubble), transition to annular and annular flow regimes. In the 1.1 mm tube, the observed regimes were found to be slug, churn and annular. The transition from slug flow to annular flow in the 0.52 mm tube occurred smoothly with little disturbances at the liquid vapour interface compared to the 1.1 mm tube. Additionally, increasing the heated length of the 1.1 mm tube was found to shift the transition to annular flow to occur at lower vapour quality. The heat transfer results demonstrated that the behaviour of the local heat transfer coefficient in the 0.52 mm diameter tube is different compared to that in the 1.1 mm tubes. Also, the tube inner surface characteristics and the heated length were found to strongly influence the local behaviour of the heat transfer coefficient. Flow boiling hysteresis was investigated and the results indicated that hysteresis exists only at very low heat fluxes near the boiling incipience. Existing heat transfer and pressure drop correlations were examined using the results of the 0.52 and 1.1 mm seamless cold drawn tubes. The pressure drop data were predicted very well using the Muller-Stienhagen and Heck (1986) correlation, the homogeneous flow model and the correlation of Mishima and Hibiki (1996). On the contrary, all macro and microscale heat correlations failed to predict the current experimental data. The mechanistic models failed to predict the data of all tubes with the same accuracy. Accordingly, two heat transfer correlations were proposed in the current study. The first correlation is based on dimensionless groups whilst the second is based on the superposition model of Chen (1966). Both correlations predicted the current experimental data and the data of Huo (2005) and Shiferaw (2008) very well.