Enhanced Heat Transfer through Electrostatic Forcing

In an effort to improve the capacity for space exploration, there is a need to optimize heat exchanger technology to support the use of heat-generating equipment in space. Heat transfer in microgravity is currently limited by the absence of buoyancy driven convection. Consequently, many conventional heat transfer methods on Earth, which utilize buoyancy driven flow, do not work in space, particularly in closed-loop systems without the use of external pumps. The current study suggests inducing resonance patterns at a two fluid interface in order to encourage heat transfer. Resonance patterns provide motion at the fluid interface, which helps heat transfer between the fluids. Resonance is induced by imposing a frequency on the fluid system, which causes vibrational acceleration until the forcing frequency resonates with the system’s natural frequency, at which point resonance occurs. While mechanically induced resonance has been shown to facilitate heat transfer, it is of limited practical use. However, imposed acceleration by AC electrostatic fields have yielded preliminary data that show a substantial increase in the heat flux. In this poster, the method utilizing this novel means of resonant-induced motion is discussed. Optimization of these parameters such as height, diameter, fluids, resonant modes, and transitioning from a single-phase system to a two-phase system should provide a further increase in heat flux.

Acknowledgment: NASA 80NSSC 21K0352, NSF 2025117 and The Florida Space Grant Consortium