The Hoodoo: A New Surface Structure for Enhanced Boiling Heat Transfer

The hoodoo is introduced as a beneficial surface structure for enhancing boiling heat transfer. A full parametric study was conducted to determine which attributes of the hoodoo structure promote boiling heat transfer enhancement. Hoodoo size and spacing were observed to have the most profound effect on boiling heat transfer, nucleation site activation, and critical heat flux (CHF). The CHF enhancement factor, defined as the ratio of CHF on the structured surface to that of a smooth surface, varies from 1.05 to 1.67 for FC-72 and hexane working fluids. Droplet spreading studies confirm the hemiwicking properties of the hoodoo surface, and it is postulated to be the primary mechanism for CHF enhancement. Measured wicking front speeds varied from 12 to 40 mm/s and were observed to obey a power-law dependence on time with an exponent of approximately 0.5. Plausible thermohydraulic mechanisms for CHF enhancement on the hoodoo surfaces are discussed.