Pool Boiling of FC 770 on Graphene Oxide Coatings: A Study of Critical Heat Flux and Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement Mechanisms

This thesis investigates pool boiling heat transfer from bare and graphene-coated NiCr wires in a saturated liquid of FC 770, a fluorocarbon fluid. Of particular interest was the effect of graphene-oxide platelets, dip-coated onto the heater surface, in enhancing the nucleate boiling heat transfer (BHT) rates and the critical heat flux (CHF) value. In the course of the pool boiling experiment, the primary focus was on the reduction mechanism of graphene oxide. The transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic behavior of the graphene oxide-coated surface was captured, and the attendant effects on surface wettability, porosity and thermal activity were observed. A parametric sensitivity analysis of these surface factors was performed to understand the CHF and BHT enhancement mechanisms.

In the presence of graphene-oxide coating, the data indicated an increase of 50% in CHF. As the experiment continued, a partial reduction of graphene oxide occurred, accompanied by (a) further enhancement in the CHF to 77% larger compared to the bare wire. It was shown that the reduction of graphene oxide progressively altered the porosity and thermal conductivity of the coating layer without changing the wettability of FC 770. Further enhancement in CHF was explained in terms of improved porosity and thermal activity that resulted from the partial reduction of graphene-oxide. An implication of these results is that a graphene-oxide coating is potentially a viable option for thermal management of high-power electronics by immersion cooling technology.