Nucleate Boiling Enhancements on Porous Graphite and Microporous and Macro-Finned Copper Surfaces

Enhancements in nucleate boiling heat removal with dielectric liquids, by increasing either the bubbles nucleation sites density and/or the wetted surface area, are desirable for immersion cooling of high-power computer chips. This article presents the results of recent investigations of nucleate boiling enhancement of FC-72, HFE-7100, and PF-5060 dielectric liquids on porous graphite, copper microporous surfaces, and copper surfaces with square corner pins, 3 mm x 3 mm in cross-section and 2, 3, and 5 mm tall. All surfaces have a footprint measuring 10 x 10 mm. These investigations examined the effects of liquid subcooling up to 30 K and surface inclination, from upward-facing to downward-facing, on nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux. Natural convection of dielectric liquids for cooling chips while in the stand-by mode, at a surface average heat flux <20 kW/m(2), is also investigated for the different surfaces.