STTR Phase I: A Process to Develop Nano-Porous Surfaces for Enhancing Heat Transfer

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)项目将产生一种新的纳米技术，专门为提高热交换器和电子冷却硬件中使用的沸腾过程的效率而量身定做。与传统的平坦表面和以前研究的微孔表面(MPS)涂层不同，均匀的纳米多孔表面(NPS)提供了一种简单的制造和低成本的手段来实现更高的性能和更高的能量效率。这项技术的成功和实施将为公用事业公司和包括电子和航空航天制造公司在内的其他商业行业每年节省数百万美元。NPS纳米技术通过产生更小的气泡来提高热交换器的性能。以前研究过的MPS表面涂层确实允许产生比传统平面更小的气泡，但提供的寿命有限。拟议的NPS纳米技术由传统的沸腾表面材料制成，可以精确地调节表面的孔隙率和结构，从而在任何给定的流体体积中产生更小的气泡和更高的气泡密度。制造方法、候选核动力源原型的制造、表面测试和结果报告将在这一阶段进行。在商业上，其结果是热交换器性能的显著改善。这项拟议的工作将首次展示纳米孔热交换器的强化。这将使开发一种低成本、高效的热交换器成为可能。鉴于人们对纳米技术的兴趣与日俱增，该项目的结果将对纳米技术的发展产生重大影响。能够对热交换器表面进行处理将对科学和工程产生重大影响，从池沸腾到核电站，再到微芯片中的高密度热交换器。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Project will result in the generation of a new nano-technology specifically tailored to increase the efficiency of the boiling processes used in heat exchangers and electronics cooling hardware. Unlike traditional flat surfaces and previously investigated microporous surface (MPS) coatings, homogeneous nanoporous surfaces (NPS) offer a simple-to-manufacture and low cost means of achieving higher performance and more energy efficient heat transfer. Success and implementation of this technology will result in millions of dollars saved annually for utility companies and other commercial industries, including electronics and aerospace manufacturing companies. NPS nanotechnology improves heat exchanger performance through its ability to generate smaller bubbles. Previously investigated MPS surface coatings do allow for the generation of somewhat smaller bubbles than traditional flat surfaces, but offer a limited life span. The proposed NPS nanotechnology, made of traditional boiling surface materials, precisely modulates the porosity and structure of surfaces, thus yielding smaller bubbles with higher bubble density in any given fluid volume. Manufacturing methods, fabrication of prototype NPS candidates, testing of surfaces, and reporting of results will be performed in this Phase 1 effort.Commercially, the result is a significant improvement in heat exchanger performance. The proposed work will, for first time, demonstrate a nanoporous heat exchanger enhancement. It will allow the development of a low-cost, highly effective heat exchanger. Given the increasing interest in nano-technology, the result of this project will have a significant impact on the nano-technology development. Being able to treat the heat exchanger surface would have significant impacts on science and engineering, from pool boiling to nuclear power plants, to high density thermal heat exchangers in microchips.