Saturated Boiling Enhancement of Novec-7100 on Microgrooved Surfaces with Groove-Induced Anisotropic Properties

The effects of the anisotropic properties (wettability and roughness) of microgrooved surfaces on heat transfer were experimentally investigated during pool boiling using Novec-7100 as a working fluid. The idea for introducing the concept of anisotropic wettability in boiling experiments draws inspiration from biphilic surfaces. The investigation is also motivated by two-phase immersion cooling, which involves phase-change heat transfer, using a dielectric liquid as a working fluid. Very few studies have focused on the effects of surfaces with anisotropic properties on boiling performance. Thus, this study aims to examine the pool-boiling heat transfer performance on surfaces with microgroove-induced anisotropic properties under the saturation condition. A femtosecond-laser texturing method was employed to create microgrooved surfaces with different groove spacings. The results indicated that anisotropic properties affected the heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux. Relative to the plain surface, microgrooved surfaces enhanced the heat transfer performance due to the increased number of bubble nucleation sites and higher bubble detachment frequency. An analysis of bubble dynamics under different surface conditions was conducted with the assistance of high-speed images. The microgrooved surface with a groove spacing of 100 μm maximally increased the BHTC by 37% compared with that of the plain surface. Finally, the CHF results derived from experiments were compared with related empirical correlations. Good agreement was achieved between the results and the prediction correlation.