Washington University

Damena Agonafer

John Mark Meacham

Patricia B Weisensee

Li Shan

Binjian Ma

System and methods for forming a micropillar array for an evaporative heat exchanger include selecting a preliminary shape for a micropillar, determining a droplet shape that is generated by the preliminary shape, and generating at least one curve that defines the droplet shape. The system and methods also include performing an evaporative simulation based on the curve and selecting a final micropillar shape based on the evaporative simulation. The system and methods further include fabricating an array of micropillars including at least one micropillar having the final micropillar shape.

Systems and methods for forming micropillar array

A heat exchanger for thermal management of an electronic device includes a liquid delivery layer thermally coupled to the electronic device and configured to receive a liquid from a source. The heat exchanger also includes an evaporation layer comprising hollow pillars configured to receive a continuous flow of the liquid from the liquid delivery layer and evaporate the continuous flow of the liquid from droplets maintained on the hollow pillars. Each hollow pillar has an evaporation surface and a pore configured to channel the continuous flow of the liquid through the hollow pillar to the evaporation surface. The evaporation surface being configured to maintain a droplet on the respective hollow pillar within a contact line. The evaporation surface has a wetting efficiency of at least about 95% and the contact line has a length of less than about 0.0314 mm.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Damena Agonafer