Enhanced electrolytic immersion cooling for thermal crisis mitigation in high-energy–density systems

Abstract

Motivated by the increasing need for effective cooling solutions in high-energy–density systems, this experimental study presents the two-phase cooling of a superheated SS 316L sample via immersion quenching in saturated deionized (DI) water at atmospheric pressure conditions with and without a DC electric field. We investigate the effect of the applied electric field, electrode polarity, and in-situ oxidation on quenching characteristics such as the cooling profile, vapour layer behaviour, minimum film boiling temperature (Tmin), and heat transfer rate. The cooling curves of samples quenched with the application of an electric field shift towards the left compared to the sample quenched without an electric field. The cathode sample at 200 V exhibits 33 % faster cooling than the bare sample (0 V). Overall, the in-situ oxidised SS 316L cathode sample at 200 V exhibits a 55 % reduction in film boiling duration, and Tmin increased from 268 °C to 322 °C compared to the bare sample (0 V). The visualisation studies highlight that the liquid–vapour interface experiences a series of oscillations followed by temporal collapse due to electrostatic attraction and electrolytic activity. The obtained results show that hydrogen-rich vapour bubbles increase heat transfer performance. The evolution of hydrogen and its adsorption at the sample surface reduces the activation energy for bubble nucleation and improves the bubble density via liquid pumping. These insights open the pathway for employing hydrogen bubbles for handling ultra-high thermal loads in high-energy density systems, and the specific case of a revised design of concentrating solar receiver is considered based on the present findings.