Modeling dynamics of pressure fluctuations in a microchannel heat exchanger covered with a wire mesh membrane

Abstract

Pressure and mass flow fluctuations in a system consisting of a microchannel two-phase heat exchanger with wire mesh covering and overflow chamber were modelled by employing mass, momentum, and energy balances on the fluid in mesh volume. These fluctuations are a result of the alternate wetting and drying of the mesh membrane driven by a combination of evaporation and capillary pressure-driven flow into the mesh. Experiments using a system of eleven parallel microchannels, each of dimension 32 x 0.25 x 0.5 mm, slotted into a copper substrate and covered with a stainless steel mesh of 0.025 mm wire and 0.026 mm aperture, confirm the occurrence of these high frequency pressure and mass flow fluctuations. The use of non-linear methods that included attractor reconstruction and recurrence plotting to enhance predictive capabilities is also explored.