Abstract
A network analysis was established to model the array of evaporative microchannels with possible nonuniformity heating as well as branching of the channels. Iterative solution of the evaporative microchannel network can be obtained using the Hardy–Cross method together with accurate two-phase head-loss correlations. Based on the experimental evidence, cross-cutting microchannels reduce the uneven flow distribution in parallel microchannels at nonuniform heating. Through this network analysis, it is also evident that cross-cutting grooves on parallel microchannels are effective in reducing nonuniform heating effects and enhancing the uniform wall temperature distribution.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA), a partnership of Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh University, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). This work was supported by the research program 2012 of Kookmin University in Korea. This work was supported by the Human Resources Development of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea (No. 20119010100070).