Microchannels and minichannels are being considered for high heat flux applications under microgravity environment in space missions. An experimental study is undertaken to determine the effect of gravitational orientation on flow boiling characteristics of water in a set of six parallel minichannels, each wide by deep and long with a hydraulic diameter of . Three orientations—horizontal, vertical downflow, and vertical upflow—are investigated under identical operating conditions of heat and mass fluxes. High-speed images are obtained to reveal the detailed two-phase flow structure and liquid-vapor interactions. The experimental data and high speed flow visualization indicate that compared to the horizontal case, the flow becomes less chaotic for the vertical upflow case, while the reversed flow becomes more pronounced in the vertical downflow case. The resulting increase in the backflow is responsible for channel-to-channel flow maldistribution and heat transfer degradation. From the heat transfer data it is concluded that the performance of the tested channels in a microgravity environment will be similar to the horizontal flow case.
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An Experimental Study on the Effect of Gravitational Orientation on Flow Boiling of Water in Parallel Minichannels
Satish G. Kandlikar,
Satish G. Kandlikar
Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department,
e-mail: sgkeme@rit.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology
, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
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Prabhu Balasubramanian
Prabhu Balasubramanian
Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department,
e-mail: prabhu@mechtech.com
Rochester Institute of Technology
, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Satish G. Kandlikar
Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department,
Rochester Institute of Technology
, Rochester, New York 14623, USAe-mail: sgkeme@rit.edu
Prabhu Balasubramanian
Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department,
Rochester Institute of Technology
, Rochester, New York 14623, USAe-mail: prabhu@mechtech.com
J. Heat Transfer. Aug 2005, 127(8): 820-829 (10 pages)
Published Online: February 8, 2005
Article history
Received:
April 19, 2004
Revised:
February 8, 2005
Citation
Kandlikar, S. G., and Balasubramanian, P. (February 8, 2005). "An Experimental Study on the Effect of Gravitational Orientation on Flow Boiling of Water in Parallel Minichannels." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. August 2005; 127(8): 820–829. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1928911
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