Abstract
Thin-film evaporation from a meniscus in a confined space, which is the basis for many two-phase cooling devices, is experimentally investigated. The meniscus formed by heptane, a highly wetting liquid, on a heated fused quartz wafer is studied. Microscale infrared temperature measurements performed near the thin-film region of the evaporating meniscus reveal the temperature suppression caused by the intensive evaporation in this region. The high spatial resolution 6.3 um and high temperature sensitivity 20 mK of the infrared camera allow for improved accuracy in the measurements. The effects of evaporation rate, applied heat flux, and channel width on the thin-film heat transfer distribution are also explored.
Keywords
meniscus, thin liquid film, evaporation, diffusion, triple line
Date of this Version
2009
DOI
10.1115/1.3090525
Published in:
H. K. Dhavalewsarapu, S. V. Garimella and J. Y. Murthy, “Microscale Temperature Measurements near the Triple Line of an Evaporating Thin Liquid Film,” ASME Journal of Heat Transfer Vol. 131, 061501, 2009.