Improved flow boiling characteristics in minichannel with open-cell porous ribs

Porous metal has been proven to exhibit significant heat transfer enhancement in minichannel. Focusing on fully utilizing the advantages of porous metal in heat transfer and reducing pressure penalty, a porous ribs mini -channel (PRM) heat sink employing open-cell porous copper as rib was designed and fabricated. PRM heat sink has 19 minichannels that are 1 mm in width and 2 mm in depth. Commercial open-cell porous copper with a porosity of 0.85 and 120 PPI (Pore per Inch, PPI) was selected. Flow boiling experiments were carried out with ethanol as the working fluid. The flow patterns of two heat sinks were recorded with a high speed photograph system and comparative analyzed. High-frequency periodic motion of vapor core boundary in width direction of porous ribs minichannel was recorded. This is considered a fluctuation of density wave along the channel width direction. Cooperating with capillary force, movement of vapor core boundary induces mass transfer between adjacent channels, compensating for uneven flow distribution between channels. The results show that PRM heat sink has better heat transfer performances and flow stability with a slight increment in pressure drop compared with solid ribs minichannel (SRM) heat sink. The porous ribs minichannel heat sink provides a new way to relieve flow insatiability for heat exchangers and thermal management systems.