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An Ultrathin Nanoporous Membrane Evaporator
Zhengmao Lu1, Kyle L Wilke1, Daniel J Preston1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
Nano Letters
|September 20, 2017
Summary
This study reveals critical insights into high heat flux evaporation using a novel nanoporous membrane. It demonstrates that convective transport dominates at high fluxes, challenging traditional diffusion models.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Evaporation is crucial in nature and industry, but interfacial transport at high heat fluxes remains poorly understood.
- Characterizing heat and mass transfer at the liquid-vapor interface is challenging, especially above 100 W/cm².
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate interfacial transport during high heat flux evaporation.
- To investigate evaporation through an ultrathin nanoporous membrane.
- To improve fundamental understanding and enable advanced phase-change devices.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an ultrathin (≈200 nm) nanoporous membrane (≈130 nm pore diameter) for evaporation into air.
- Accurately monitored liquid-vapor interface temperature.
- Designed an evaporator to reduce thermal-fluidic resistance and clogging risk.
Main Results:
- Achieved steady-state heat fluxes of ≈500 W/cm² over a 0.20 mm² area.
- Demonstrated the dominance of convective transport at high evaporation fluxes.
- Showed that Fick's first law of diffusion is insufficient in the high flux regime.
Conclusions:
- High heat flux evaporation is governed by convection, not solely diffusion.
- The novel membrane design facilitates accurate measurements and high performance.
- This research advances the understanding of phase-change phenomena for future devices.
