Data-Driven Optical To Thermal Inference in Pool Boiling Using Generative Adversarial Networks

Phase change plays a critical role in thermal management systems, yet quantitative characterization of multiphase heat transfer remains limited by the challenges of measuring temperature fields in chaotic, rapidly evolving flow regimes. While computational methods offer spatiotemporal resolution in idealized cases, replicating complex experimental conditions remains prohibitively difficult. Here, we present a data-driven framework that leverages a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) to infer temperature fields from geometric phase contours in a canonical pool boiling configuration where advanced data collection techniques are restricted. Using high-speed imaging data and simulation-informed training, our model demonstrates the ability to reconstruct temperature fields with errors below 6%. We further show that standard data augmentation strategies are effective in enhancing both accuracy and physical plausibility of the predicted maps across both simulation and experimental datasets when precise physical constraints are not applicable. Our results highlight the potential of deep generative models to bridge the gap between observable multiphase phenomena and underlying thermal transport, offering a powerful approach to augment and interpret experimental measurements in complex two-phase systems.

Multi-fidelity Design of Porous Microstructures for Thermofluidic Applications

As modern electronic devices are increasingly miniaturized and integrated, their performance relies more heavily on effective thermal management. Two-phase cooling methods enhanced by porous surfaces, which capitalize on thin-film evaporation atop structured porous surfaces, are emerging as potential solutions. In such porous structures, the optimum heat dissipation capacity relies on two competing objectives that depend on mass and heat transfer. The computational costs of evaluating these objectives, the high dimensionality of the design space which a voxelated microstructure representation, and the manufacturability constraints hinder the optimization process for thermal management. We address these challenges by developing a data-driven framework for designing optimal porous microstructures for cooling applications. In our framework we leverage spectral density functions (SDFs) to encode the design space via a handful of interpretable variables and, in turn, efficiently search it. We develop physics-based formulas to quantify the thermofluidic properties and feasibility of candidate designs via offline simulations. To decrease the reliance on expensive simulations, we generate multi-fidelity data and build emulators to find Pareto-optimal designs. We apply our approach to a canonical problem on evaporator wick design and obtain fin-like topologies in the optimal microstructures which are also characteristics often observed in industrial applications.

BubbleML: A Multi-Physics Dataset and Benchmarks for Machine Learning

In the field of phase change phenomena, the lack of accessible and diverse datasets suitable for machine learning (ML) training poses a significant challenge. Existing experimental datasets are often restricted, with limited availability and sparse ground truth data, impeding our understanding of this complex multi-physics phenomena. To bridge this gap, we present the BubbleML Dataset(https://github.com/HPCForge/BubbleML) which leverages physics-driven simulations to provide accurate ground truth information for various boiling scenarios, encompassing nucleate pool boiling, flow boiling, and sub-cooled boiling. This extensive dataset covers a wide range of parameters, including varying gravity conditions, flow rates, sub-cooling levels, and wall superheat, comprising 51 simulations. BubbleML is validated against experimental observations and trends, establishing it as an invaluable resource for ML research. Furthermore, we showcase its potential to facilitate exploration of diverse downstream tasks by introducing two benchmarks: (a) optical flow analysis to capture bubble dynamics, and (b) operator networks for learning temperature dynamics. The BubbleML dataset and its benchmarks serve as a catalyst for advancements in ML-driven research on multi-physics phase change phenomena, enabling the development and comparison of state-of-the-art techniques and models.