TY - JOUR
TI - Numerical investigation of the flow distribution characteristics of the evaporative cooling plate in a pump-driven two-phase flow system
AU - Zhou Nianyong
AU - Lv Wenyu
AU - Liu Yang
AU - Tang Guanghua
AU - Bao Qingguo
AU - Zou Youxin
AU - Zhao Yingjie
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2024
VL - 28
IS - 5
SP - 4115
EP - 4129
PT - Article
AB - The uniformity of flow distribution within the evaporative cooling plate is essential for its heat transfer performance, given its role as the core component in the pump-driven two-phase flow cooling system. Nevertheless, traditional technical methods employed to achieve uniform flow distribution, such as using an external head and an internal large-diameter sump, lead to a cold plate with excessive volume and weight, rendering it unsuitable for numerous engineering applications. In response to these challenges, this paper introduces a novel flow distribution structure that integrates a spoiler column with a sump. Numerical simulation is utilized to examine the flow distribution characteristics of this structure. The study examines the influence of factors, including the inlet and outlet positions, sump width, and spoiler column distribution, on the flow distribution characteristics. The findings suggest that, for micro-channel cold plates, achieving a more uniform flow distribution is possible by positioning the inlet and outlet closer to the center of the sump. An increase in the sump width proves effective in reducing the non-uniformity of the flow distribution. Furthermore, the addition of a spoiler column at both the inlet and outlet positions results in a significant reduction in non-uniformity. Alternatively, adding a spoiler column at the inlet alone can also yield positive results. Overall, among the eight working conditions analyzed in this paper, the cold plate exhibits a maximum reduction of 80% in overall flow distribution non-uniformity.