Influence of cellulose nanofiber fluid on flow instability and heat transfer of two-phase closed thermosyphon.

In this research, the geyser phenomenon occurring in a small-diameter two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) was observed and the instability of the device was discussed. Geyser phenomena interfere with the natural circulation of internal working fluids, increasing the thermal resistance of the system and contributing to the instability of the device. This study attempts to improve the thermal performance and stability of the system using cellulose nanofiber (CNF) fluid as the working fluid. The use of CNF fluid was observed to reduce the magnitude of temperature change inside the evaporator of the TPCT significantly. Moreover, it improved the local boiling heat transfer coefficient by 3.1 %, 87.3 %, and 181.2 % on average when the filling ratios are 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, respectively. Studying the local heat transfer performance and instability will be helpful in designing a more stable TPCT efficiently. Additionally, the findings of this study can be applied to solar thermal power generation or heat pipe research for cooling strategies in computing servers, depending on the input heat load.

Condensation Heat Transfer Correlation for Micro/Nanostructure Properties of Surfaces.

Condensation, which can be observed in nature as a phase change heat transfer phenomenon, is a critical phenomenon in industrial fields such as power generation, water desalination, and environmental control. Many existing studies have applied surfaces with different wettability by controlling the surface topology to enhance condensation heat transfer. However, the industrial applicability is close to zero due to the limited size and shape of surfaces and low supersaturation conditions. Here, we regulate the surface topology of large-area copper tubes, which are representative industrial metals. We fabricated four copper tubes with different surface structures. We analyzed the condensation phenomenon of the modified tube under specific supersaturation conditions by measuring the overall heat transfer coefficient. We analyzed the condensation phenomenon by measuring the condensation heat transfer coefficient. We have recognized that there is a difference between the maximum droplet radius and the droplet detaching frequency depending on the size and shape of the structure. We measured the contact angle and contact angle hysteresis to accurately analyze the droplet behavior on each surface. As a result, we show that there is a correlation between contact angle hysteresis (CAH) and the total heat transfer coefficient, indicating heat transfer performance. These findings can be applied when evaluating surfaces with excellent condensation heat transfer performance for use in real industrial environments, which can dramatically reduce time and cost.

Experimental Study on the Quenching Behavior of a Copper Cube in the Cellulose Nanofiber Solution.

This study investigates the quenching behavior and heat transfer characteristics of a copper cube immersed in cellulose nanofiber (CNF) solutions. The heat transfer performance of CNF solutions during boiling has been examined in several studies, but the quenching behavior of CNF solutions, which is an important heat transfer method, has not been evaluated. In this study, four copper cubes with the same dimensions and four different quenchants (deionized water and 0.01%, 0.1% and 0.5% CNF solutions) were prepared. A copper cube heated to greater than 600 °C was submerged three times in the quenchant. This was repeated with different copper cubes in each of the quenchants. The time at which the heated copper cube convectively transferred heat to the surroundings was recorded. The cooling time was shortest when the cube was immersed in a 0.5% CNF solution for the first time. The average cooling time for quenching in the 0.5% CNF solution was 30.3% shorter than that in DI water. In this study, film boiling during quenching was thoroughly observed and analyzed to explain the cause of enhancement in heat transfer efficiency.

Effect of Surface Structure Complexity on Interfacial Droplet Behavior of Superhydrophobic Titanium Surfaces for Robust Dropwise Condensation.

In general, the dropwise condensation supported by superhydrophobic surfaces results in enhanced heat transfer relative to condensation on normal surfaces. However, in supersaturated environments that exceed a certain supersaturation threshold, moisture penetrates the surface structures and results in attached condensation, which reduces the condensation heat transfer efficiency. Therefore, when designing superhydrophobic surfaces for condensers, the surface structure must be resistant to attached condensation in supersaturated conditions. The gap size and complexity of the micro/nanoscale surface structure are the main factors that can be controlled to maintain water repellency in supersaturated environments. In this study, the condensation heat exchange performance was characterized for three different superhydrophobic titanium surface structures via droplet behavior (DB) mapping to evaluate their suitability for power plant condensers. In addition, it was demonstrated that increasing the surface structure complexity increases the versatility of the titanium surfaces by extending the window for improved heat exchange performance. This study demonstrates the usefulness of DB mapping for evaluating the performance of superhydrophobic surfaces regarding their applicability for industrial condenser systems.

Heat Transfer Enhancement of Small-Diameter Two-Phase Closed Thermosyphon Using Cellulose Nanofiber and Hydrophilic Surface Modification.

In this study, we observed the Geyser phenomenon that occurs in a small-diameter two-phase closed thermosyphon (confinement number of 0.245). This phenomenon interferes with the natural circulation of the internal working fluid and increases the thermal resistance of the system. This study attempts to improve the thermal performance of the system using cellulose nanofiber as the working fluid and hydrophilic surface modification at the inner surface of the evaporator section. As a result, the total thermal resistance showed average reduction rates of 47.51%, 36.69%, and 22.56% at filling ratios of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, respectively.

A Study of Droplet-Behavior Transition on Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Efficiency Enhancement of Condensation Heat Transfer.

Enhancement in heat-transfer performance via dropwise condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces is much greater than that realized via generic condensation on a regular surface. However, if the supersaturation level during condensation increases above a specific value, water may seep to greater depths between structures. This may lead to attached condensation, which reduces condensation heat-transfer efficiency below that of ordinary surfaces. Therefore, it is critical to avoid the occurrence of supersaturation when superhydrophobic surfaces are employed in condenser design. The proposed study presents a simple method for regulating supersaturation on the laboratory scale. Experiments concerning droplet behavior on a superhydrophobic plate were performed to investigate droplet detachment and attachment in accordance with the surface and droplet temperatures. Results obtained have been represented as a ″droplet-behavior map″, which clearly depicts boundaries dividing the detachment and attachment regions. The supersaturation threshold obtained from the said map has been compared against results obtained from condensation heat-transfer experiments performed in an actual condenser environment. As observed, the two results demonstrate excellent agreement. Although superhydrophobicity of surfaces remains unchanged at room temperature, changes may occur in the extent of the supersaturation section, which improves condensation heat-transfer performance, depending on the surface-structure complexity. Therefore, droplet-behavior mapping has been used in this study to determine the available supersaturation section in accordance with the variation in surface roughness. Results confirm that the available supersaturation region increases with increasing surface roughness and structural complexity. Therefore, prior to applying superhydrophobicity to condensers, droplet-behavior mapping must be performed to avoid operation under the supersaturation conditions, which causes attached condensation.

Enhancement of nanofluid stability and critical heat flux in pool boiling with nanocellulose.

A nanofluid, which is an aqueous fluid with nanoparticles, is an attractive medium for enhancing critical heat flux (CHF); however, its instability over a long period of time due to sedimentation and aggregation has impeded its successful application in industry. In this study, lightweight negatively charged TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were utilized as a nano-sized substance in water and examined to enhance both the CHF performance and thermal stability of nanofluids. Owing to low density of the CNFs and long range repulsion between negatively charged CNFs, there were no aggregation and sedimentation of CNFs with multiple boiling/cooling cycles. In addition, with CNF concentrations of 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.10 wt%, CHF enhancement increases of 40.7%, 45.1%, 54.9%, and 69.4%, respectively, were achieved over that of pure water. The present results demonstrated the great potential of CNFs as eco-friendly and cost-effective nano-substances that can overcome the instability of nanofluids.

Study of Siphon Breaker Experiment and Simulation for a Research Reactor.

Under the design conditions of a research reactor, the siphon phenomenon induced by pipe rupture can cause continuous outward flow of water. To prevent this outflow, a control device is required. A siphon breaker is a type of safety device that can be utilized to control the loss of coolant water effectively. To analyze the characteristics of siphon breaking, a real-scale experiment was conducted. From the results of the experiment, it was found that there are several design factors that affect the siphon breaking phenomenon. Therefore, there is a need to develop a theoretical model capable of predicting and analyzing the siphon breaking phenomenon under various design conditions. Using the experimental data, it was possible to formulate a theoretical model that accurately predicts the progress and the result of the siphon breaking phenomenon. The established theoretical model is based on fluid mechanics and incorporates the Chisholm model to analyze two-phase flow. From Bernoulli's equation, the velocity, quantity, undershooting height, water level, pressure, friction coefficient, and factors related to the two-phase flow could be obtained or calculated. Moreover, to utilize the model established in this study, a siphon breaker analysis and design program was developed. The simulation program operates on the theoretical model basis and returns the result as a graph. The user can confirm the possibility of the siphon breaking by checking the shape of the graph. Furthermore, saving the entire simulation result is possible and it can be used as a resource for analyzing the real siphon breaking system. In conclusion, the user can confirm the status of the siphon breaking and design the siphon breaker system using the program developed in this study.