The investigation of a capillary-based heat exchanger is presented for potential integration with thermoelectric devices and thermal energy harvesting. The exchanger is a microfabricated device, designed to promote phase change of low boiling-point working fluids and enhance heat transfer from thermoelectric devices as a result. Several heat exchanger designs are studied and compared in these experiments. All designs rely on capillary channels to pump working fluid from surrounding reservoirs out across a heated exchanger surface. First, a baseline silicon device is fabricated using standard RIE techniques to produce silicon capillary channels. Channel widths of 100 μm are studied with varying heights. In addition to this base silicon device, SU-8 is used to further vary channel height. Heat exchangers are characterized based on operating temperature and heat input using 3M™ HFE 7200 working fluid. Maximum mass transfer rate recorded is 5.50 mg/s for Si channels operating above the boiling point of the working fluid. By contrast, SU-8 channels are shown to be more effective at temperatures below the boiling point. Maximum mass transfer rate is 2.29 mg/s for SU-8 based channels operating at these reduced temperatures.
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ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition
November 11–17, 2011
Denver, Colorado, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- ASME
ISBN:
978-0-7918-5497-6
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
MEMS-Based Phase Change for Heat Transfer With Thermoelectric Devices and Energy Harvesting
E. Ogbonnaya,
E. Ogbonnaya
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
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B. Jakub-Wood,
B. Jakub-Wood
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
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C. Champagne,
C. Champagne
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
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S. Chukwu,
S. Chukwu
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
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L. Weiss
L. Weiss
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
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E. Ogbonnaya
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
B. Jakub-Wood
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
C. Champagne
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
S. Chukwu
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
L. Weiss
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
Paper No:
IMECE2011-63562, pp. 345-351; 7 pages
Published Online:
August 1, 2012
Citation
Ogbonnaya, E, Jakub-Wood, B, Champagne, C, Chukwu, S, & Weiss, L. "MEMS-Based Phase Change for Heat Transfer With Thermoelectric Devices and Energy Harvesting." Proceedings of the ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Volume 11: Nano and Micro Materials, Devices and Systems; Microsystems Integration. Denver, Colorado, USA. November 11–17, 2011. pp. 345-351. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2011-63562
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