Flow-Through Boiling of Isopentane in Structured-Porous Fins: Effects of System Parameters

Abstract

Metallic porous structures have proved to be effective in enhancing heat transfer due to the inherent characteristics such as high specific surface area and large pore densities. In this study, structured-porous fins were built from plain weaved copper wire mesh screens. Seven test articles were made, with pore hydraulic diameter varying from 214 μm to 48 μm. Boiling experiments were conducted with Isopentane, a highly wetting fluid, flowing through the porous fin. The tested system pressure varies from 2 bars to 5 bars, and the channel Reynolds number from 2000 to 10,000. Influences of system pressure, flow rate, and pore sizes (mesh number) on flow boiling performance were investigated. The mechanisms for the influences were discussed.