Forced internal convection mist cooling heat transfer

Abstract

This report describes work completed and results achieved on the” Forced Internal Convection Mist Cooling Heat Transfer” project from its inception on November 4, 2002 through its conclusion on August 31, 2013. This work involved close collaboration between the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), the Schoonover Consulting Group (SCG), and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The primary goal of the project was to design, develop, and test a system to adequately cool the Hibachi foils in the Electra KrF laser at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

Though it took several iterations, we did successfully devise a system which met the goal of keeping the foils cool with minimal disruption to the focal profile or efficiency of the laser. By withdrawing a relatively small amount of KrF gas from the laser and redirecting it towards the Hibachi foils in the form of hundreds of tiny high velocity near-wall jets the foils showed a dramatic decrease in temperature. Focal profile measurements of the laser beam were far better than that achieved by any other cooling system. It is unfortunate that Congressional funding cuts scuttled the Electra program before we were able to complete full-scale, long-term testing with gas recirculation.