Suppressing high-frequency temperature oscillations in microchannels with surface structures

Two-phase microchannel heat sinks are attractive for thermal management of high heat flux electronic devices, yet flow instability which can lead to thermal and mechanical fatigue remains a significant challenge. Much work has focused on long-timescale (similar to seconds) flow oscillations which are usually related to the compressible volume in the loop. The rapid growth of vapor bubbles which can also cause flow reversal, however, occurs on a much shorter timescale (similar to tens of milliseconds). While this high-frequency oscillation has often been visualized with high-speed imaging, its effect on the instantaneous temperature has not been fully investigated due to the typical low sampling rates of the sensors. Here, we investigate the temperature response as a result of the high-frequency flow oscillation in microchannels and the effect of surface microstructures on this temperature oscillation with a measurement data acquisition rate of 1000 Hz. For smooth surface microchannels, fluid flow oscillated between complete dry-out and rewetting annular flow due to the short-timescale flow instability, which caused high-frequency and large amplitude temperature oscillations (10 degrees C in 25ms). In comparison, hydrophilic surface structures on the microchannel promoted capillary flow which delayed and suppressed dry-out in each oscillation cycle, and thus significantly reduced the temperature oscillation at high heat fluxes. This work suggests that promoting capillary wicking via surface structures is a promising technique to reduce thermal fatigue in high heat flux two-phase microchannel thermal management devices. Published by AIP Publishing.