Objective

The scientific problems that need to be addressed include:

1. Exploring and understanding the transport mechanisms of nucleation, bubble dynamics and instability on mini/micro/nanostructured surfaces
    
2. Developing new strategies that can effectively enhance nucleation, bubble breakup and thermal transport under very ultra-high critical heat flux
    
3. Developing novel cost-effective,high efficient, embeddable thermal management systems.

Approach

Mini/micro/nano patterned structures and wettabilities offer the opportunity to enhance the nucleation cite formation and the bubble instability in different scales that improve both through molecular and classical size effects. Therefore, it is possible to engineer a smart interface that has a different performance for pool and flow boiling in their conventional form.

Impact

The thermal management of high-power electronic devices is crucial to energy systems, such as thermal management of ultrahigh power LEDs for energy efficient lighting, power converters for wind energy generators, frequency inverters for hybrid electronic cars and nuclear power plants. Particular focus is given to the state-of-the-art thermal management and thermal design approaches to be implemented across multiple-length scales.The impact of future trends in energy technology and emerging industrial needs on thermal management will also be addressed.

Contact

Huihe Qiu, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Email: meqiu@ust.hk