Suppression of Two-Phase Flow Instabilities in Parallel Microchannels by Using Synthetic Jets

Two-phase flow instabilities in microchannels exhibit pressure and temperature fluctuations with different frequencies and amplitudes. An active way to suppress the dynamic instabilities in the boiling microchannels is to introduce synthetic jets into the channel fluid. Thus, the bubbles can be condensed before they clog the channel and expand upstream causing flow reversal. The present work experimentally investigated the effects of synthetic jets on microchannel flow boiling. An array of synthetic jets was introduced into the microchannel flow. The strength and frequency of the jets were controlled by changing the driving signals of the piezoelectric driven jet actuator. It is found that the bubbles were effectively condensed inside the jet cavity. The boiling flow reversals were notably delayed by the synthetic jets. Meanwhile, the pressure fluctuation amplitudes were suppressed to some extent. It was also observed that synthetic jets can help to uniformize the heat sink temperature distribution.