Adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow across a bank of staggered circular micropillars, 100μm long with a diameter of 100μm and a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.5, was investigated experimentally for Reynolds number ranging from 5 to 50. Flow patterns, void fraction, and pressure drop were obtained, discussed, and compared to large scale as well as microchannel results. Two-phase flow patterns were determined by flow visualization, and a flow map was constructed as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities. Significant deviations from conventional scale systems, with respect to flow patterns and trend lines, were observed. A unique flow pattern, driven by surface tension, was observed and termed bridge flow. The applicability of conventional scale models to predict the void fraction and two-phase frictional pressure drop was also assessed. Comparison with a conventional scale void fraction model revealed good agreement, but was found to be in a physically wrong form. Thus, a modified physically based model for void fraction was developed. A two-phase frictional multiplier was found to be a strong function of mass flux, unlike in previous microchannel studies. It was observed that models from conventional scale systems did not adequately predict the two-phase frictional multiplier at the microscale, thus, a modified model accounting for mass flux was developed.
Flow boiling of 1-methoxyheptafluoropropane (HFE 7000) in 222 μm hydraulic diameter channels containing a single row of 24 inline 100 μm pin fins was studied for mass fluxes from 350 kg/m2 s to 827 kg/m2 s and wall heat fluxes from 10 W/cm2 to 110 W/cm2. Flow visualization revealed the existence of isolated bubbles, bubbles interacting, multiple flow, and annular flow. The observed flow patterns were mapped as a function of the boiling number and the normalized axial distance. The local heat transfer coefficient during subcooled boiling was measured and found to be considerably higher than the corresponding single-phase flow. Furthermore, a thermal performance evaluation comparison with a plain microchannel revealed that the presence of pin fins considerably enhanced the heat transfer coefficient.
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