Smart skin to enhance pool boiling heat transfer in normal and reduced gravity
Adaptive, shape memory surfaces for efficient thermal management on earth and in space
Efficient heat management is critical for space applications, where extreme thermal loads and reduced gravity render conventional cooling strategies inadequate. Pool boiling is a promising solution due to its ability to dissipate high heat fluxes with minimal temperature gradients, particularly when enhanced by engineered surfaces that increase effective surface area, nucleation site density, wettability, and capillary wicking. Shape memory materials (SMMs) present a transformative opportunity for thermal management because of their ability to reversibly adapt their morphology in response to temperature. Despite their potential, SMMs have not yet been explored as active elements for enhancing liquid–vapor phase change heat transfer. This work investigates the use of additively manufactured, shape memory engineered surfaces to enhance pool boiling heat transfer under both normal and reduced gravity conditions.
This project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and carried out in collaboration with the University of Pisa, Italy and the University of Twente. For further clarification and detailed information regarding the project, kindly contact:
