Multiobjective Optimization of Graded, Hybrid Micropillar Wicks for Capillary-Fed Evaporation

As electronic device power densities continue to increase, vapor chambers and heat pipes have emerged as effective thermal management solutions for hotspot mitigation. A crucial aspect of vapor chamber functionality depends on the properties of the microporous wick that drives heat and mass transport within the device. While many prior studies have focused on the optimization of these porous structures to increase the maximum capillary-limited dryout heat flux, an equally important aspect of porous wick design is the minimization of the thermal resistance above heated areas. Segmented wicks with geometries that vary along the length of the wick are attractive candidates that can potentially be used to fulfill these simultaneous design goals. Previous studies on bisegmented wicks with only two distinct adiabatic and heated region geometries, however, have shown mixed results regarding the degree of performance benefit over homogeneous wicks. In this work, we present a systematic modeling approach to investigate the optimal composition of segmented micropillar wicks comprising multiple, discrete regions of graded geometry. Using a genetic algorithm, we generate Pareto fronts of optimal segmented wick distributions that maximize the dryout heat flux and minimize the thermal resistance for a given heating configuration. We find that optimal, graded segmented wicks are capable of dissipating dryout heat fluxes more than 200% higher than baseline homogeneous wicks with significantly lower thermal resistance. The sensitivity of the wick performance to the total number of geometry segments is found to vary depending on the desired heat flux and thermal resistance operating regimes.