Enhanced pool-boiling heat transfer on laser-made hydrophobic/superhydrophilic polydimethylsiloxane-silica patterned surfaces

Zupančič, Matevž (author), Steinbücher, Miha (author), Gregorčič, Peter (author), Golobič, Iztok (author)

This study presents the application of hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane-silica coating used for the development of biphilic surfaces that are designed to enhance the heat transfer during boiling. Surface analyses showed that this coating exhibits a high hydrophobicity due to its hierarchical structure and the use of hydrophobic polymer. An appropriate thermal treatment leads to the oxidation of the methyl groups and a formation of silicon oxide and silicon carbide that result in a wettability transition from hydrophobic to superhydrophilic. On this basis, we manufactured hydrophobic/superhydrophilic patterns on stainless-steel foils using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The uniform, superhydrophilic surface exhibited a 350% larger critical heat flux (CHF) than bare stainless-steel foil. High-speed IR thermography revealed that the increased wettability reduced the bubble contact diameter, allowed a higher density of active nucleation sites, and delayed the dry-out. The biphilic surfaces with differently sized hydrophobic spots exhibited the highest heat transfer coefficients, with an up to 200% higher CHF compared to the bare stainless steel. Smaller hydrophobic spots reduced the bubble diameter and increased the nucleation frequency. However, surfaces with larger hydrophobic regions promoted boiling incipience and exhibited higher heat transfer coefficients at low heat fluxes. These results suggest that the optimal biphilic pattern could only be determined for a particular operating point. Our data provide a new insight into the complex phenomena of nucleate pool boiling on chemically and mechanically heterogeneous surfaces.

• Language: English
• Keywords: pool boiling, heat transfer enhancement, biphilic micropattern, laser-processed surface, high-speed IR thermography, polydimethylsiloxane-silica coating
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Author Accepted Manuscript
• Year: 2015
• Number of pages: Str. 288-297
• Numbering: Vol. 91
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-105547
• UDC: 536.24(045)
• ISSN on article: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.08.026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 14131227
• Publication date in RUL: 05.12.2018

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied thermal engineering
• Shortened title: Appl. therm. eng.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1861910

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: vrenje v bazenu, izboljšan prenos toplote, bifilne mikro strukture, lasersko procesirane površine, hitrotekoča IR termografija, polidimetilsiloksan-silika premaz

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0392
• Name: Optodinamika