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PUBLICATIONS

Microscale Heat Transfer at Low Temperatures

Published

Author(s)

Ray Radebaugh

Abstract

This paper discusses the fundamentals and applications of heat transfer in small space and time domains at low temperatures. The modern trend toward miniaturization of devices requires a better understanding of heat transfer phenomena in small dimensions. In regenerative thermal systems, such as thermoacoustic, Stirling, and pulse tube refrigerators, miniaturization is often accompanied by increased operating frequencies. Thus, this paper also covers heat transfer in small time domains involved with possible frequencies up to several hundred hertz. Simple analytical techniques are discussed for the optimization of heat exchanger and regenerator geometry at all temperatures. The results show that the optimum hydraulic diameters can become much less than 100 ¿m at cryogenic temperatures, although slip flow is seldom a problem. The cooling of superconducting or other electronic devices in Micro-Electro-Mechanical systems (MEMS) requires a better understanding of the heat transfer issues in very small sizes. Space applications also benefit from a reduction in the size of cryocoolers, which has brought about considerable interest in microscale heat exchangers. Some recent developments in miniature heat exchangers for Joule-Thomson and Brayton cycle cryocoolers are discussed. Both single-phase and two-phase heat transfer are covered in the paper, but the emphasis is on single-phase gas flow. Some discussion of fabrication techniques is also included.
Citation
Microscale Heat Transfer Fundamentals and Applications
Volume
193
Publisher Info
Springer Science+Business Media LLC , New York, NY
Pub Type
Book Chapters

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DOI Link

Keywords

cryocoolers, cryogenics, heat exchangers, high frequency, optimization, refrigeration, regenerators
Chemical engineering and processing and Chemical thermodynamics and chemical properties

Citation

Radebaugh, R. (2005), Microscale Heat Transfer at Low Temperatures, Microscale Heat Transfer Fundamentals and Applications, Springer Science+Business Media LLC , New York, NY, [online], https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3361-3_5 (Accessed December 13, 2024)

Issues

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Created September 26, 2005, Updated November 10, 2018