Boiling surface enhancement by electrophoretic deposition of particles from a nanofluid

摘要

We explore the electrophoretic deposition of nanoparticles from a high particle volume fraction nanofluid as a convenient surface modification technique for enhanced boiling performance. Using a ZnO-propyl-ene glycol based nanofluid, we demonstrate 200% improvement in the boiling heat transfer coefficient for deionized water boiled on a coated stainless steel surface under atmospheric pressure. Analysis using the Mikic-Rohsenow correlation, SEM imaging, and contact angle measurements of the surface suggests that the measured enhancement is due to an increase in the active nucleation site density.