Development of high performance heat spreaders based on MULTI-MICROCHANNELS with micro- and nanostructured surfaces aiming applications in solar absorbers

• Grant number: 15/24834-3
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal researcher: Gherhardt Ribatski
• Grantee: Debora Carneiro Moreira
• Home Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/09509-1 - Phase change heat transfer processes of high performance applied to solar energy recovery, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/12576-5 - Design and experimental evaluation of microchannels-based thermal absorbers for solar collectors, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Solar radiation is a renewable energy source that can be converted into heat or electricity, and its economic and technological importance is continually growing. Both applications require the use of heat exchangers, either to take the heat from absorbers or to refrigerate photovoltaic cells. The concentrated radiation in solar receptors can result in heat fluxes higher than 150W/cm2. Such values are comparable to those observed in the operation of modern and high-performance microprocessors, which has motivated a considerable amount of recent investigations regarding flow boiling in microchannels. In this sense, there have been many efforts on the development of heat exchangers with high heat transfer coefficients, low pressure-loss, and minimal thermal instability. According to this status quo, the present post-doctoral proposal addresses the design, manufacturing, and experimental characterization of new high performance heat spreaders based in multi-microchannels with micro- and nanostructured surfaces, aiming to intensify flow boiling heat transfer and minimize the effects of thermal instability. Concepts for these novel heat spreaders shall be based in previous studies developed by the groups of EESC-USP and RIT and in theoretical aspects related to bubbles nucleation and detachment during flow boiling. Prototypes will be fabricated through micro- and nano-manufacturing techniques, and then characterized by their global heat transfer and pressure-loss coefficients. This project will be developed within the heat transfer research group from the São Carlos Engineering School of the University of São Paulo, with a post-doctoral internship in the Rochester Institue of Technology supervised by prof. Satish G. Kandlikar. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOREIRA, TIAGO AUGUSTO; MOREIRA, DEBORA CARNEIRO; RIBATSKI, GHERHARDT. Nanofluids for heat transfer applications: a review. Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, v. 40, n. 6 JUN 2018. Web of Science Citations: 9.

DOS SANTOS FILHO, E.; DO NASCIMENTO, F. J.; MOREIRA, D. C.; RIBATSKI, G. Dynamic wettability evaluation of nanoparticles-coated surfaces. EXPERIMENTAL THERMAL AND FLUID SCIENCE, v. 92, p. 231-242, APR 2018. Web of Science Citations: 3.