Microscale Heat Transfer at Ultra High Power Density

Time flies. Here is my work in which I led staff at UCLA about four years ago.

http://boiling.seas.ucla.edu/Publications/Conf_LMWD2003

These days I am reactivating this project in my garage in Sun Valley.

I found this spin-off on the NSF web yesterday, Novenber 21, 2007! WOW!!! $324,981

Award Abstract #0553571 HEAT TRANSFER IN FLUIDS AT NEAR-CRITICAL PRESSURES: EXPERIMENTS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING
NSF Org:
CBETDivision of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Initial Amendment Date:
September 11, 2006
Latest Amendment Date:
February 28, 2007
Award Number:
0553571
Award Instrument:
Standard Grant
Program Manager:
Patrick E. Phelan CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport SystemsENG Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:
September 15, 2006
Expires:
August 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:
$324981
Investigator(s):
Gopinath Warrier gwarrier@ucla.edu(Principal Investigator) Vijay Dhir (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:
University of California-Los Angeles 11000 Kinross Avenue LOS ANGELES, CA 90095 310/794-0102
NSF Program(s):
THERMAL TRANSPORT & THERM PROC
Field Application(s):
0308000 Industrial Technology
Program Reference Code(s):
SMET,OTHR,9251,9178,064E,0000
Program Element Code(s):
1406
ABSTRACTABSTRACT National Science Foundation Proposal Number CTS-0553571
Principal Investigator Warrier, Gopinath Affiliation University of California-Los Angeles

Proposal Title Heat Transfer in Fluids at Near Critical Pressures: Experiments and Mathematical Modeling

High pressure fluids are increasingly being promoted as heat transfer media in a number of thermal and chemical processes such as cryogenic cooling systems, thermosyphons, and large Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactors (SCWR). However, due to the rapid change in fluid properties close to the critical point, the experimental results have yielded both heat transfer enhancement and deterioration. The results for these contradictory results are not clearly understood. In this fundamental study, the heat transfer mechanisms involved during natural convection and boiling from microscale heater elements at near-critical pressures will be investigated. Both Schlieren photography and Particle Image Velocimetry will be employed. Models/correlations suitable for design purposes will be developed based on the experimental data. In addition to the experiments, numerical simulations using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) will also be performed. The temperature and velocity data obtained in the experiments will be used to validate the numerical simulations.

Intellectual Merit: The proposed study will greatly advance the basic understanding of heat transfer in fluids at pressures near the critical pressure. The knowledge gained will provide researchers, in academia and industry, with a better understanding of the process. Potential innovative applications of this knowledge include miniature thermosyphons and heat pipes, cryogenic cooling systems, and in a broader sense SCWR thermal-hydraulics during shut down modes and reactor transients.

Broader Impact: The project will support at least two undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to come and work in the laboratory during each summer. This will give the students a chance to gain valuable hands on experience and stimulate their interest in the field of thermal science and engineering. Two Ph.D. students will also be supported as part of this project. The research accomplished will be presented at conferences and published in archival journals for general dissemination by the technical community.

Those Damned Lobbyists

The powerful Nuclear Power Lobbyists have succeeded in getting rid of the convenient website for Current Rulemakings.



I note that the following notice no longer appears. Apparently it was too convenient an access channel for those whom the NRC decided there should not be a straightforward disclosure.

Website Offline Notification

We are currently having technical problems with the NRC's rulemaking website. All public documents are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, the public can gain entry into the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if you have problems accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.Comments on rulemakings can be submitted via e-mail to secy@nrc.gov or via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov/.

Our contractor is taking every step to remedy the problem as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.

RELAX

RELAX
So, let's relax and enjoy ourselves as we forget about Regulation by Myth! Let's go into the world of precision skydiving at http://www.aerialfocus.com/ to view a fantastic video clip and other presentations.

The above photograph shows the Silver Surfer attacking the formation "4." Moments later, the formation is shattered as the Surfer penetrates the eye of the perfectly built 4.Of course, skydiving is for everyone, although it takes a bit of practice and devotion to match the skills of the Silver Surfer and the formation "4" The photographs below show blogger Leyse in action about 22 years ago.

Above is your blogger at 8,000 feet during his first training jump on September 28, 1985. We bailed out at 10,500 feet near the jumpzone of the California Parachute Club near Livermore, California. I am in red, my primary jumpmaster, Phillipe Icardo, is on the left. My secondary jumpmaster, Bryan Roach, is on the right. We drop at about 100 miles per hour (88 feet per second) and about 45 seconds after the above scene I pulled my ripcord at 4,000 feet.

This is a great scene as my jumpmasters flee. From that point on, I am on my own (mostly).