High Heat Flux Dissipation for DEW Applications

• Published in: SAE transactions 2004-01, Vol.113, p.1974-1986
• Main Authors: Hale, Charles, Hopkins, Kevin, Boyack, Chad, Lind, Thomas, Downing, Scott, Rini, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0096-736X; 2577-1531

A High Heat Flux Demonstration Program has been initiated to investigate and demonstrate the performance of a number of candidate cooling technologies to address the need of dissipating the large thermal loads and high heat fluxes associated with Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) systems. The technologies selected for these investigations utilize both single-phase and two-phase cooling concepts. The single-phase devices investigated are based upon the concept of jet impingement with and without extended surface areas. The two-phase devices investigated extend the jet impingement concepts into the liquid-vapor phase change regime, as well as a device based upon vapor injection spray cooling technology. In addition, all devices must demonstrate scalability. For each device a unit cooling cell has been defined and greater surface area capability is to be achieved with the addition of adjacent cells without significantly affecting the performance of neighboring cells. Results to date for three small-scale device demonstrations with cooled surfaces of up to 3cm² are presented. Primary test parameters of interest are coolant flow rate, pressure drop, average wall temperature, average heat flux magnitude, temperature uniformity, and heat flux uniformity. All devices have successfully demonstrated heat flux capability of between 500 and 800 W/cm².