New insights on boiling carbon dioxide flow in mini- and micro-channels for optimal silicon detector cooling

Whilst the thermal management needs of future silicon detectors are increasing, the required mass and volume minimization of all detector ancillaries gets more demanding. This requires highly effective active cooling in very small channels. In the context of the AIDA-2020 project, a new test stand has been developed to characterize, with unprecedented level of accuracy, boiling flows of CO2 in mini- and micro-channels with hydraulic diameter ranging from 2 down to 0.1 mm. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop behaviour in stainless steel tubular evaporators for saturation temperatures from ＋20 to −25 °C, mass fluxes from 1200 to 100 kg m−2 s−1 and heat fluxes from 0.5 to 3.5 W/cm2 are discussed for one diameter. In addition, high speed camera observations of CO2 flow patterns recorded on micro-structured silicon cold plates are used to help with the interpretation of the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop trends reported.