A compact pool boiler utilizing nanostructured plates for microscale cooling applications

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A nanostructure based compact pool boiler cooling system consisting of an aluminum base housing the heaters, a pool and four different plates to change the surface texture of the pool is designed. Effects of nanostructured plates of different surface morphologies on boiling heat transfer performance of the system are studied. Three nanostructured plates featuring Si nanowires of diameter 850 nm and of three different lengths, 900 nm, 1800 nm and 3200 nm respectively, which are etched through single crystal p-type silicon wafers using metal assisted chemical etching (MaCE), are utilized to enhance the pool boiling heat transfer. A plain surface Si plate is used as the control sample. C onstant heat flux is provided to the liquid within the pool on the surface of the aluminum base through the plate by boiling heat transfer. Existence of wall superheat gave rise to forming of vapor bubbles near the boiling temperature of the fluid, namely DI-Water. Bubbles emerged from the nanostructured plate along with the phase change. Nucleate boiling on the surface of the plate, bubble formation and bubble motion inside the pool created a heat removal mechanism from the heated surface to the liquid pool. The surface temperature at boiling inception is found to be 104 ºC for plain surface Si control sample, whereas it decreased to near 100 ºC for all the cases where a nanostructured plate was present. Due the enhancement in boiling heat transfer coefficients, this study proves the ability of nanostructure d plates in improving the performance of the cooling system.