Single-phase and two-phase heat transfer characteristics of low temperature hybrid micro-channel/micro-jet impingement cooling module

This study examines the single-phase and two-phase cooling performance of a hybrid micro-channel/micro-jet impingement cooling scheme using HFE 7100 as working fluid. This scheme consists of supplying coolant from a series of jets that deposit liquid into the micro-channels. A single-phase numerical scheme that utilizes the k–e turbulent model and a method for determining the extent of the laminarized wall layer shows very good predictions of measured wall temperatures. It is shown jet velocity has a profound influence on single-phase cooling performance. High jet velocities enable jet fluid to penetrate the axial micro-channel flow and produce a strong impingement effect at the wall. On the other hand, the influence of jets at low jet velocities is greatly compromised compared to the microchannel flow. During nucleate boiling, vapor layer development along the micro-channel in the hybrid module is fundamentally different from that encountered in conventional micro-channels. Here, subcooled jet fluid produces repeated regions of bubble growth followed by bubble collapse, rather than the continuous growth common to conventional micro-channel flow. By reducing void fraction along the micro-channel, the hybrid scheme contributes greater wall temperature uniformity. Increasing subcooling and/or flow rate delay the onset of boiling to higher heat fluxes and higher wall temperatures, and also increase critical heat flux considerably. A nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation is developed that fits the present data with a mean absolute error of 6.10%. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.