P16371: Controlled Oscillating Meniscus Test Fixture
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Project Summary Project Information

A boiling system can be an incredibly useful tool for removing vast amounts of heat from a surface. However, due to the complexity and chaos of a boiling environment, the fundamental physics of a nucleating bubble are not well understood. For this reason, the RIT Thermal Analysis, Microfluidics, and Fuel Cell Laboratory (TAµFL) has proposed a system that is capable of studying bubble nucleation at a fundamental level. The goal of this senior design project is design TAµFL's proposed system in order to meet the requirements for observing and studying bubble nucleation. This will be accomplished by designing, and then constructing, an apparatus that creates a stable liquid meniscus, is capable of controlling the meniscus's volume, and is able to oscillate the meniscus at a desired frequency. The applications of understanding bubble nucleation pertain to any system that requires heat dissipation, ranging from jet engines to computer chips.

The original Project Readiness Package for this MSD project can be found here.

The image shown above is of a chaotic water boiling system with many bubble nucleation sites. The MSD team assigned to this project is tasked with designing and constructing a device that will enable researchers to study a single bubble nucleation site.

The image shown above is of a chaotic water boiling system with many bubble nucleation sites. The MSD team assigned to this project is tasked with designing and constructing a device that will enable researchers to study a single bubble nucleation site.

Project Name
Controlled Oscillating Meniscus Test Fixture
Project Number
P16371
Project Family
Microfluidics
Start Term
2151 (Fall 2015-2016)
End Term
2155 (Spring 2015-2016)
Faculty Guide
Harold Paschal
Email: paschal@frontiernet.net
Primary Customer
Pruthvik Raghupathi
Email: par3002@rit.edu
Sponsor
The RIT Thermal Analysis, Microfluidics, and Fuel Cell Lab
Dr. Satish Kandlikar
Email: sgkeme@rit.edu
public/Photo Gallery/TAuFL logo.jpg

Meet Our Team

Name Role Major Email Address
Charles Krouse Team Leader ME crk6762@rit.edu
Robert Walkowiak Master Builder ME rmw5190@rit.edu
Joseph Baldwin Lead Engineer ME jxb7268@rit.edu
Alyssa Recinella Communications ME anr6832@rit.edu
From left to right the team members are as follows: Robert Walkowiak, Alyssa Recinella, Charles Krouse, and Joseph Baldwin.

From left to right the team members are as follows: Robert Walkowiak, Alyssa Recinella, Charles Krouse, and Joseph Baldwin.

Table of Contents

This section will be updated appropriately as additional work is completed throughout the length of MSD 1 and MSD II.

MSD I MSD II
Problem Definition Build & Test Prep
Systems Design Subsystem Build & Test
Subsystem Design Integrated System Build & Test
Preliminary Detailed Design Integrated System Build & Test with Customer Demo
Detailed Design Gate Reviews

Acknowledgements

Our team would like to publicly thank Dr. Satish Kandlikar for providing us with the opportunity to work in his lab, Harold Paschal for his guidance and advice, and Dr. Elizabeth DeBartolo for her oversight of all MSD teams for the 2015-2016 academic year.