Spray cooling characteristics of nanofluids for electronic power devices.

The performance of a single spray for electronic power devices using deionized (DI) water and pure silver (Ag) particles as well as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MCNT) particles, respectively, is studied herein. The tests are performed with a flat horizontal heated surface using a nozzle diameter of 0.5 mm with a definite nozzle-to-target surface distance of 25 mm. The effects of nanoparticle volume fraction and mass flow rate of the liquid on the surface heat flux, including critical heat flux (CHF), are explored. Both steady state and transient data are collected for the two-phase heat transfer coefficient, boiling curve/ cooling history, and the corresponding CHF. The heat transfer removal rate can reach up to 274 W/cm(2) with the corresponding CHF enhancement ratio of 2.4 for the Ag/water nanofluids present at a volume fraction of 0.0075% with a low mass flux of 11.9 × 10(-4) kg/cm(2)s.

DNA stretching on the wall surfaces in curved microchannels with different radii.

DNA molecule conformation dynamics and stretching were made on semi-circular surfaces with different radii (500 to 5,000 µm) in microchannels measuring 200 µm × 200 µm in cross section. Five different buffer solutions - 1× Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE), 1× Tris-borate-EDTA (TBE), 1× Tris-EDTA (TE), 1× Tris-phosphate-EDTA (TPE), and 1× Tris-buffered saline (TBS) solutions - were used with a variety of viscosity such as 40, 60, and 80 cP, with resultant 10(-4) ≤ Re ≤ 10(-3) and the corresponding 5 ≤ Wi ≤ 12. The test fluids were seeded with JOJO-1 tracer particles for flow visualization and driven through the test channels via a piezoelectric (PZT) micropump. Micro particle image velocimetry (µPIV) measuring technique was applied for the centered-plane velocity distribution measurements. It is found that the radius effect on the stretch ratio of DNA dependence is significant. The stretch ratio becomes larger as the radius becomes small due to the larger centrifugal force. Consequently, the maximum stretch was found at the center of the channel with a radius of 500 µm.

DNA molecule stretching through thermo-electrophoresis and thermal convection in a heated converging-diverging microchannel.

A novel DNA molecule stretching technique is developed and tested herein. Through a heated converging-diverging microchannel, thermal convection and thermophoresis induced by regional heating are shown to significantly elongate single DNA molecules; they are visualized via a confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, electrophoretic stretching is also implemented to examine the hybrid effect on the conformation and dynamics of single DNA molecules. The physical properties of the DNA molecules are secured via experimental measurements.

DNA molecule dynamics in converging-diverging microchannels.

The conformation and dynamics of double-stranded DNA molecules in a pressure-driven flow-through sharp/gradual converging (contraction half)-diverging (expansion half) square microchannels with a contraction/expansion ratio of 4:1/1:4 were examined using fluorescently labelled lambda-phage DNA at 2.2< or =De< or =30.7 (De is Deborah number, a dimensionless number used in rheology to characterize how fluid a material is). Both the diffusion and stretching of individual DNA molecules and their local flow velocity were visualized, recorded and measured with using MPIV (microparticle image velocimetry) and CLSM (confocal laser-scanning microscopy). The onset of the coil-stretch transition in DNA molecules and their time-dependent velocity in the elongational flow were determined at the micro scale. Velocity distribution was measured via MPIV through orange fluorescent particles and carboylate-modified microspheres of 1 mum diameter. The channel geometry effect in terms of the channel contraction/expansion angle, the mass flow rate and the solution viscosity on the conformation and diffusion were also studied and discussed.

A novel design and micro-fabrication for copper (Cu) electroforming bipolar plates.

A novel design and micro-fabrication were developed for micro-proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack bipolar plates with cross section of 5c m2 and thickness of about 650 microm. Copper metals were used to make bipolar plates (BPs) by using a LIGA-like micro-fabrication process of deep UV lithography in order to obtain SU-8 resist patterns/and SU-8 mould. Through two-sided exposure and development, copper metal bipolar plates with serpentine (meandering) flow field configurations for a micro PEM fuel cell stack, were fabricated and performance tests through polarization characteristics were conducted; this made it possible for the first time to consider copper sheets as suitable for BPs in micro PEM fuel cell stacks.

Thermal and flow measurements of continuous cryogenic spray cooling.

The performance of single sprays for high heat flux cooling using R-134a was studied. The heat flux and heat transfer coefficient at the surface of a sprayed jet based on measurements of steady-state temperature gradients on a thin copper plate during continuous spraying. Meanwhile, the spray droplets flow characteristics was also quantified through laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurements to obtain the local velocity distributions. The effects of mass flow rate and average droplet velocity, and spray exit-to-target distance on the surface heat flux including the corresponding critical heat flux (CHF) were explored through three different nozzle diameters of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm. Finally, the effective use of the fluid being delivered based on the cooling efficiency and cooling effectiveness was also examined. The relationship between CHF and nozzle performance in terms of cooling efficiency and cooling effectiveness was found. The heat transfer removal rate can reach up to 140 W/cm(2) for the present nozzle size of d (j)=0.2 and 0.3 mm, which may enhance the current cryogen spray cooling (CSC) technique that assists laser therapy of dermatoses.

Electroosmotic flow velocity measurements in a square microchannel.

Experiments were performed using a microparticle image velocimetry (MPIV) for 2D velocity distributions of electroosmotically driven flows in a 40-mm-long microchannel with a square cross section of 200×200 µm. Electroosmotic flow (EOF) bulk fluid velocity measurements were made in a range of streamwise electric field strengths from 5 to 25 kV/m. A series of seed particle calibration tests can be made in a 200×120×24,000-µm untreated polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS channel incorporating MPIV to determine the electrophoretic mobilities in aqueous buffer solutions of 1× TAE, 1× TBE, 10 mM NaCl, and 10 mM borate. A linear/nonlinear (due to Joule heating) flow rate increase with applied field was obtained and compared with those of previous studies. A parametric study, with extensive measurements, was performed with different electric field strength and buffer solution concentration under a constant zeta potential at wall for each buffer. The characteristics of EOF in square microchannels were thus investigated. Finally, a composite correlation of the relevant parameters was developed in the form of [Formula: see text] within ±1% accuracy for 99% of the experimental data.