FEM method with the use of Trefftz functions for determination of heat transfer coefficient in a minichannel

Abstract

The paper presents the FEM method for determination of boiling heat transfer coefficient in cooling liquid flow in a rectangular minichannel with asymmetric heating. Experimental research has focused on the transition from single phase forced convection to nucleate boiling, i.e. the zone of boiling incipience. The “boiling front” location has been determined from the temperature distribution of the heated wall obtained from liquid crystal thermography. The main part of the test section has been a minichannel of pre-set depth from 0.7 to 2.0 mm, of different spatial orientations. Local values of heat transfer coefficient have been determined following the solution of the two-dimensional inverse heat transfer problem. This problem has been solved with the use of Trefftz functions. Trefftz functions have been used to construct base functions in the finite element method (FEMT).