Effect Mechanism of Low Pressure Environment on the Cooling Performance of Liquid Nitrogen Spray in the Aircraft

LIU Xianlong; ZHANG Jianjun; CHEN Xueqing; LI He; DING Chen

doi:10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.005

PDF(3437 KB)

Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (6) : 37-43. DOI: 10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.005

Aviation and Aerospace Equipment

Effect Mechanism of Low Pressure Environment on the Cooling Performance of Liquid Nitrogen Spray in the Aircraft

LIU Xianlong¹, ZHANG Jianjun², CHEN Xueqing², LI He², DING Chen^1,*

Author information +

History +

Abstract

The work aims to investigate the effect mechanisms of different low pressure environments on the cooling performance of liquid nitrogen spray. The numerical simulation method was employed to study the cooling performance of liquid nitrogen spray in low pressure environments, investigate the evolution mechanisms of liquid nitrogen spray cooling at low pressure and analyze the cooling process within the 15 kPa to 101 kPa environment pressure. The trajectory and temperature field of liquid nitrogen spray particles under low pressure and normal pressure were compared and analyzed, and the effect of low pressure environment on the cooling performance of liquid nitrogen spray cooling as well as the effect of environment pressure change on wall temperature, wall temperature inhomogeneity and average wall heat transfer coefficient was explored. A numerical model for spray cooling under low pressure conditions is developed to simulate the liquid nitrogen spray cooling process across different environment pressures. The results demonstrate that boiling phenomena at the liquid nitrogen heating surface intensify under low pressure environments. The impact of environment pressure on wall temperature exhibits complex parameter-dependent characteristics, where cooling performance initially deteriorates and subsequently improves with the decreasing environment pressure. With the decrease of ambient pressure, the non-uniformity of wall temperature increases and the average heat transfer coefficient decreases.

Key words

liquid nitrogen spray cooling / numerical simulation / low pressure environment / temperature non-uniformity / cooling performance

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

LIU Xianlong, ZHANG Jianjun, CHEN Xueqing, LI He, DING Chen. Effect Mechanism of Low Pressure Environment on the Cooling Performance of Liquid Nitrogen Spray in the Aircraft[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2025, 22(6): 37-43 https://doi.org/10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.005

References

[1] WANG J X, GUO W, XIONG K, et al.Review of Aerospace-Oriented Spray Cooling Technology[J]. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2020, 116: 100635.
[2] SCHMIDT D K, STEVENS J, RONEY J.Near-Space Station-Keeping Performance of a Large High-Altitude Notional Airship[J]. Journal of Aircraft, 2007, 44(2): 611-615.
[3] WANG J X, LI Y Z, ZHANG H S, et al.A Highly Self-Adaptive Cold Plate for the Single-Phase Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop for Spacecraft Thermal Management[J]. Energy Conversion and Management, 2016, 111: 57-66.
[4] ZHANG Z W, LI Q, HU D H.Experimental Investigation on Heat Transfer Characteristics of R1336mzz Flash Spray Cooling[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2020, 174: 115277.
[5] MARCOS A, CHOW L C, DU J H, et al.Spray Cooling at Low System Pressure[C]//Eighteenth Annual IEEE Semiconductor Thermal Measurement and Management Symposium. San Jose: IEEE, 2002.
[6] 赵锐. 喷雾冷却传热机理及空间换热地面模拟研究[D]. 合肥: 中国科学技术大学, 2009.
ZHAO R.Study on Heat Transfer Mechanism of Spray Cooling and Ground Simulation of Space Heat Transfer[D]. Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2009.
[7] 程文龙, 韩丰云, 刘期聂, 等. 系统压力影响下的喷雾冷却特性及温度均匀性[J]. 化工学报, 2010, 61(12): 3086-3091.
CHENG W L, HAN F Y, LIU Q N, et al.Effect of System Pressure on Spray Cooling Heat Transfer and Surface Temperature Uniformity[J]. CIESC Journal, 2010, 61(12): 3086-3091.
[8] 刘炅辉, 孙皖, 刘秀芳, 等. 喷雾腔压力及喷嘴孔径对相变喷雾冷却性能的影响[J]. 强激光与粒子束, 2013, 25(10): 2546-2550.
LIU J H, SUN W, LIU X F, et al.Influences of Spray Chamber Pressure and Nozzle Bore Diameter on Spray Cooling Performance[J]. High Power Laser and Particle Beams, 2013, 25(10): 2546-2550.
[9] 刘妮, 占太杰, 洪春芳. 压力参数对喷雾冷却换热特性影响的研究[J]. 电子元件与材料, 2018, 37(5): 100-105.
LIU N, ZHAN T J, HONG C F.Influence of Pressure Parameters on Heat Transfer Performance of Spray Cooling[J]. Electronic Components and Materials, 2018, 37(5): 100-105.
[10] PENG C, XU X H, LI Y M, et al.Experimental Study on Spray Cooling under Reduced Pressures[J]. Science China Technological Sciences, 2019, 62(2): 349-355.
[11] WANG C, SONG Y, JIANG P X.Modelling of Liquid Nitrogen Spray Cooling in an Electronic Equipment Cabin under Low Pressure[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2018, 136: 319-326.
[12] WANG Y, ZHOU N Y, YANG Z, et al.Experimental Investigation of Aircraft Spray Cooling System with Different Heating Surfaces and Different Additives[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2016, 103: 510-521.
[13] SOMASUNDARAM S, TAY A A O. A Study of Intermittent Liquid Nitrogen Sprays[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2014, 69(1/2): 199-207.
[14] SEHMBEY M S, CHOW L C, HAHN O J, et al.Effect of Spray Characteristics on Spray Cooling with Liquid Nitrogen[J]. Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 1995, 9(4): 757-765.
[15] TILTON D E, KEARNS D A, TILTON C L.Advances in Cryogenic Engineering[M]. Boston: Springer US, 1994: 1779-1786.
[16] WANG C, SONG Y, JIANG P X.Modelling of Liquid Nitrogen Spray Cooling in an Electronic Equipment Cabin under Low Pressure[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2018, 136: 319-326.
[17] MIAO Q S, LIU X F, CHEN J J, et al.Experimental Study on the Dynamics of a Liquid Nitrogen Droplet Impacting a Surface under Leidenfrost Conditions[J]. Cryogenics, 2024, 142: 103909.
[18] GONG Y, ZHAO J H, LI W, et al.Experimental Investigation on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Nitrogen Spray Cooling for Large Area[J]. Energies, 2023, 16(1): 403.
[19] ZHAO J H, GUO Y M, AI Q, et al.Experimental Study on Spray Cooling Heat Transfer of LN2 for a Large Area[J]. Energies, 2023, 16(9): 3877.
[20] MUNDO C, TROPEA C, SOMMERFELD M.Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Spray Characteristics in the Vicinity of a Rigid Wall[J]. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 1997, 15(3): 228-237.
[21] HOU Y, TAO Y J, HUAI X L, et al.Numerical Simulation of Multi-Nozzle Spray Cooling Heat Transfer[J]. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2018, 125: 81-88.
[22] CLIFT R, GRACE J, WEBER M. Bubbles, Drops,Particles[M]. New York: Dover Publications, 1978.
[23] REICHARD D L, ZHU H P, FOX R, et al.Computer Simulation of Variables that Influence Spray Drift[J]. Transactions of the ASAE, 1992, 35(5): 1401-1407.
[24] RANZ W E.Evaporation from Drops-I and-II[J]. Chem Eng Progr, 1952, 48: 141-146.
[25] KUO K K.Principles of Combustion[M]. New York: Wiley, 1986.
[26] ZHANG Z, LI J, JIANG P X.Experimental Investigation of Spray Cooling on Flat and Enhanced Surfaces[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2013, 51(1/2): 102-111.