Heat Transfer Characteristics of Oscillating Electrohydrodynamic Liquid Flow

The current trend in electronic systems sees them continue to develop at a remarkable pace and, thus, they become smaller, more complex, and require larger power densities to operate. Similarly, associated thermal management technologies that support them must continue to advance. The existing world of thermal management systems is typically comprised of heat pipes and loops to dissipate heat from electronics. These systems, despite their ability to transfer heat, are met with the challenge of overcoming mechanical deterioration and are often limited to being passive thermal management methods. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping is an innovative, low power, and non-mechanical method to pump fluids for thermal management. In addition to these advantages, EHD is also simple in design and is controllable, as it can be integrated into complex and programmable scenarios for optimal thermal management. EHD conduction pumping in unidirectional flows has been successfully explored as a method of enhancing heat transfer and managing fluid flows in both space and terrestrial applications. By designing EHD conduction pumping to oscillate flows, a system is expected to experience further enhanced heat transfer than typical unidirectional pumping due to mixing. This study numerically investigates the concept of using EHD conduction pumping to oscillate a liquid flow to observe the effects on fluid flow behavior, using Novec 7100 as the working fluid. Based on the results, which include enhanced vorticity, and pulsating flow, it is expected that this technology can be used to enhance heat transport. The results of this simulation further support those found in previous experimental studies, and they continue to support the future of EHD conduction pumping as a technology to augment next generation cooling technologies.