Electric Field–Based Control and Enhancement of Boiling and Condensation

ABSTRACT

This article reviews and analyzes recent advancements on boiling and condensation heat transfer enhancement via the use of electric fields. Historically, the majority of studies on phase change heat transfer enhancement have relied on passive approaches like surface engineering. Electric fields provide distinct options to enhance and control the nano/micro/mesoscale thermofluidic phenomena associated with boiling and condensation. This work focuses on the influence of electric fields on electrically conducting liquids like water and certain organic solvents. After a brief review of past work on electric field–based heat transfer enhancement using electrically insulating liquids, we summarize and discuss recent studies involving electrically conducting liquids. It is seen that electric fields can offer disruptive advancements and benefits in the control and enhancement of boiling and condensation. Perspectives, future research directions, and applications of these novel concepts are also discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Electric fields
• boiling
• condensation
• heat transfer enhancement
• droplets
• bubbles

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Ryan Enright of Nokia Bell Labs and Dr. Daniel J. Preston of MIT for reading and commenting on the condensation section of the article.

Funding

V.B. acknowledges support from National Science Foundation (Grant No. NSF-1605789) and industry sponsors (confidential) in support of this work. A.S. acknowledges the University Graduate Continuing Fellowship for financial support. P.B., J.O., and N.M gratefully acknowledge the funding support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) with Dr. Mark Spector as the program manager (Grant No. N00014-16-1-2625) and the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC), an NSF-founded I/UCRC at UIUC. N.M. gratefully acknowledges the support of the International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. P.B. and N.M. gratefully acknowledge funding support from the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Power Optimization of Electro Thermal Systems (POETS) with cooperative agreement EEC-1449548.

Additional information

Funding

V.B. acknowledges support from National Science Foundation (Grant No. NSF-1605789) and industry sponsors (confidential) in support of this work. A.S. acknowledges the University Graduate Continuing Fellowship for financial support. P.B., J.O., and N.M gratefully acknowledge the funding support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) with Dr. Mark Spector as the program manager (Grant No. N00014-16-1-2625) and the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC), an NSF-founded I/UCRC at UIUC. N.M. gratefully acknowledges the support of the International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. P.B. and N.M. gratefully acknowledge funding support from the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Power Optimization of Electro Thermal Systems (POETS) with cooperative agreement EEC-1449548.