SGER: Biomimetic Electrospray Vapor Chamber

CBET-0840370Chen这个探索性项目的目标是演示一种史无前例的仿生电喷雾蒸汽室(BEVAC)的概念验证。拟建的蒸汽室有一个以甲虫为灵感的超疏水冷凝器，里面嵌入了亲水补丁，工作流体的冷凝液在那里积累。工作液通过电喷雾雾化返回蒸发器。这种创新的液体回流机构完全消除了芯结构，使微处理器芯片能够直接用作无芯蒸发器。要成功开发BEVAC系统，需要克服许多科学和技术挑战。导热甲壳型结构和蒸发式电喷雾冷却在文献中都没有报道，更不用说所提出的冷凝器和蒸发器相变过程背后的物理原理了。NSF SGER赠款适合于这项具有丰富物理学和广泛适用性的高风险、高回报研究努力的早期阶段。在试验阶段，将开发一个原型BEVAC来证明这一概念。相当大的努力将被用于开发一种既有利于优先冷凝又有利于电喷雾雾化的冷凝器。这项研究的学术价值在于提出了一种新的无芯蒸汽室的原始概念。BEVAC技术结合了高热流密度喷雾冷却和低温度梯度蒸汽室的优点，形成了自适应的两相冷却系统。仿生冷凝器和电喷雾冷却即使作为独立的部件也是重要的，并在能源系统中有广泛的应用，如自主水管理和热点热管理。这项拟议的工作将揭示优先冷凝和电喷雾蒸发背后的物理原理，并为电喷雾蒸汽室作为一种新的冷却技术奠定基础。拟议工作的更广泛影响在于它有可能在广泛的军事和商业应用中改变芯片级别的热传播技术。英特尔公司对这项拟议的技术表示了浓厚的兴趣和热情的支持。凭借英特尔的支持和PI自身在两项授权专利上的成功，PI将严格寻求这项变革性工作的技术过渡机会。另一方面，BEVAC项目以其生物灵感冷凝器设计和实用的冷却应用，是教育推广的一个极好的展示，对K-12学生来说既有趣又有形。这些试点项目将被转化为达勒姆市的高中生科学演示，该市拥有大量非裔美国人。

CBET-0840370ChenThe objective of this exploratory project is to demonstrate the proof-of-concept for an unprecedented biomimetic electrospray vapor chamber (BEVAC). The proposed vapor chamber has a beetle-inspired superhydrophobic condenser with embedded hydrophilic patches where condensate of the working fluid accumulates. The working fluid is returned to the evaporator by electrospray atomization. This innovative liquid return mechanism completely eliminates wick structures and enables the direct use of a microprocessor chip as a wickless evaporator. Numerous scientific and technical challenges need to be overcome for the successful development of a BEVAC system. Neither conducting beetle-like structures nor evaporative electrospray cooling have been reported in the literature, not to mention the physics behind the phase change processes on the proposed condenser and evaporator. The NSF SGER grant is appropriate for the early stage of this high-risk, high-payoff research endeavor with rich physics and broad applicability. In the pilot phase, a prototypical BEVAC will be developed to prove the concept. Considerable efforts will be directed toward the development of a condenser that is conducive to both preferential condensation and electrospray atomization. The intellectual merits of the proposed research lie in the development of an original concept for a new class of wickless vapor chamber. The BEVAC technology combines the merits of high-heat-flux spray cooling and low-temperature-gradient vapor chamber into an adaptive two-phase cooling system. Biomimetic condenser and electrospray cooling are important even as stand-alone components, and have wide-ranging applications in energy systems such as autonomous water management and hotspot thermal management. The proposed work will unveil the physics behind preferential condensation and electrospray evaporation which have been largely unexplored so far, and lay the foundation for electrospray vapor chamber as a new cooling technology.The broader impacts of the proposed work lie in its potential to transform heat-spreading technology at the chip level for a wide spectrum of military and commercial applications. Intel Corporation has expressed keen interest and enthusiastic support for the proposed technology. Drawing upon Intel's support and the PI's own success with two licensed patents, the PI will rigorously pursue opportunities for technological transition of this transformative work. On the other hand, the BEVAC project is an excellent showcase for educational outreach with its bioinspired condenser design and practical cooling applications, both interesting and tangible for K-12 students. The pilot projects will be converted to science demos for high school students at the City of Durham with a large African American population.