Pool Boiling Performance and Reliability of Copper and Nickel Inverse Opal Structures

(16:52 + Q&A) Kaiying (Katherine) Jiang, Stanford University
From the 2024 IEEE Symposium on Reliability for Electronics and Photonics Packaging
Summary: Engineered microporous structures are gaining attention for high-heat-flux electronics cooling due to their high thermal conductivity, permeability, and large surface area for heat transfer. However, they are prone to boiling-induced thermal degradation. This study evaluates nickel inverse opals (NiIOs) for their ability to mitigate structural degradation caused by corrosion-assisted erosion during pool boiling with water as the working fluid. First, NiIOs were compared with copper inverse opals (CuIOs) over a 3-day pool boiling test at constant heat flux. NiIOs showed superior resistance to thermal degradation, attributed to their better corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. A follow-up and more controlled experiment was conducted to decouple the effects of heat flux and temperature on degradation. NiIOs subjected to 20% and 40% of critical heat flux (CHF) showed minimal degradation, while those at 60% CHF exhibited surface erosion, likely due to increased bubble formation and departure rates. These findings show the potential of NiIOs as a promising solution for long-term thermal management in high-power electronics, though careful design is required to manage heat flux limits for reliable operation.
Bio: Kaiying (Katherine) Jiang received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2020. She is currently pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. Her current research interest lies in multi-phase cooling solutions for fast-charging EV systems. Katherine is the recipient of the SoE department fellowship and the EDGE fellowship. Aside from research, she enjoys skiing and playing golf.

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