| Project ID |
BITS-SRIP/A369F8/2026 |
| Project Title |
Pool Boiling Augmentation for Next-Generation Electronics, EV Battery, and Power Module Cooling |
| Project Description |
Pool boiling heat transfer has been an active area of research for several decades owing to its exceptionally high heat transfer capability achieved over relatively small temperature gradients through phase-change mechanisms. To further enhance pool boiling performance, researchers have explored a wide range of augmentation techniques, which can broadly be classified into passive and active enhancement methods. Passive techniques focus on modifying the heater surface or working fluid without external energy input. These include tailoring surface wettability—hydrophobic, hydrophilic, or mixed wettability surfaces, altering surface roughness, incorporating extended surfaces such as fins or metal foams, and adding additives to the working fluid, including nanoparticles and surfactants.
In contrast, active enhancement techniques rely on the application of external forces or disturbances to influence bubble dynamics and heat transfer characteristics. Among these, the use of external electric fields, magnetic fields, and mechanical vibrations has attracted significant attention in recent years. Vibration-assisted boiling, in particular, has emerged as a promising active technique and can be further categorized based on the location of vibration application. In the first category, the heating source and the vibration source are separate. Ultrasonic vibration falls under this class, where acoustic waves generated away from the heater or disturbances induced in the liquid pool by a nearby moving body promote rapid bubble detachment by increasing inertial forces around the vapor bubbles. Such vibrations can significantly alter bubble morphology during growth and departure, leading to substantial enhancement in surface heat flux. Numerous experimental and numerical studies have reported the beneficial effects of ultrasonic vibration on pool boiling performance.
The second category involves directly inducing vibrations at the heater surface itself; however, systematic studies in this area remain limited.
The objective of the proposed study is to conduct a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation on the effect of vertical vibration on pool boiling heat transfer and bubble dynamics over a wide range of frequencies (0–1000 Hz) and amplitudes (0–3 mm). The influence of vibration parameters on average bubble departure diameter, nucleation site density, bubble departure frequency, surface superheat, surface heat flux, and overall boiling heat transfer coefficient will be examined in detail. Additionally, the role of vibration intensity in enhancing boiling performance will be critically analyzed. |
| Project Discipline |
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, ENERGY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING, MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING, POWER ENGINEERING, HEAT-POWER ENGINEERING, RENEWABLE ENERGY, THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, |
| Faculty Name |
SUVANJAN BHATTACHARYYA |
| Department |
Department of Mechanical Engineering |
