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Title: Axially Tapered And Bilayer Microchannels For Evaporative Cooling Devices

Abstract

The invention consists of an evaporative cooling device comprising one or more microchannels whose cross section is axially reduced to control the maximum capillary pressure differential between liquid and vapor phases. In one embodiment, the evaporation channels have a rectangular cross section that is reduced in width along a flow path. In another embodiment, channels of fixed width are patterned with an array of microfabricated post-like features such that the feature size and spacing are gradually reduced along the flow path. Other embodiments incorporate bilayer channels consisting of an upper cover plate having a pattern of slots or holes of axially decreasing size and a lower fluid flow layer having channel widths substantially greater than the characteristic microscale dimensions of the patterned cover plate. The small dimensions of the cover plate holes afford large capillary pressure differentials while the larger dimensions of the lower region reduce viscous flow resistance.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Cardiff, CA
  2. Livermore, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
880227
Patent Number(s):
6951243
Application Number:
10/683938
Assignee:
Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Nilson, Robert, and Griffiths, Stewart. Axially Tapered And Bilayer Microchannels For Evaporative Cooling Devices. United States: N. p., 2005. Web.
Nilson, Robert, & Griffiths, Stewart. Axially Tapered And Bilayer Microchannels For Evaporative Cooling Devices. United States.
Nilson, Robert, and Griffiths, Stewart. Tue . "Axially Tapered And Bilayer Microchannels For Evaporative Cooling Devices". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/880227.
@article{osti_880227,
title = {Axially Tapered And Bilayer Microchannels For Evaporative Cooling Devices},
author = {Nilson, Robert and Griffiths, Stewart},
abstractNote = {The invention consists of an evaporative cooling device comprising one or more microchannels whose cross section is axially reduced to control the maximum capillary pressure differential between liquid and vapor phases. In one embodiment, the evaporation channels have a rectangular cross section that is reduced in width along a flow path. In another embodiment, channels of fixed width are patterned with an array of microfabricated post-like features such that the feature size and spacing are gradually reduced along the flow path. Other embodiments incorporate bilayer channels consisting of an upper cover plate having a pattern of slots or holes of axially decreasing size and a lower fluid flow layer having channel widths substantially greater than the characteristic microscale dimensions of the patterned cover plate. The small dimensions of the cover plate holes afford large capillary pressure differentials while the larger dimensions of the lower region reduce viscous flow resistance.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2005},
month = {Tue Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2005}
}

Works referenced in this record:

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Capillary Flow in Triangular Grooves
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A steady state, one dimensional, model for boiling two phase flow in triangular micro-channel
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Film evaporation from a micro-grooved surface - An approximate heat transfer model and its comparison with experimental data
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Experimental and theoretical study of axial dryout point for evaporation from V-shaped microgrooves
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The Interline Heat Transfer of Evaporating Thin Films Along a Micro Grooved Surface
journal, August 1996


A Semi-Analytical Model to Predict the Capillary Limit of Heated Inclined Triangular Capillary Grooves
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SLATEC Common Mathematical Subprogram Library: SNLA implementation
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Recent developments in deep x-ray lithography
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Analysis of the heat transfer coefficient of grooved heat pipe evaporator walls
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An Experimental Investigation of the Capillary Performance of Triangular Versus Sinusoidal Channels
journal, November 1997