In pursuit of maximizing evaporation efficiency in thermal systems, a recent study in the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer introduces a breakthrough in wick evaporator design: 3D porous metasurfaces composed of carefully architected capillary networks. Leveraging advanced fabrication methods, including sintered metal powders and precision-molded features, the research highlights the critical role of multiscale geometries in enhancing water vapor generation.
The evaporator wicks studied were built with unit-cell based structures that integrate capillary “arteries” over a porous monolayer base—delivering a dual benefit of liquid transport and heat dissipation. These arteries extend the evaporation surface while continuously irrigating the substrate, preventing dryout even under high heat flux conditions. This multiscale architecture is tailored to optimize capillary-viscous dynamics, increasing evaporation rates and efficiency.
This level of structural control mirrors the core value of BMF’s Projection Micro Stereolithography (PµSL) technology, which can achieve resolutions as fine as 2 microns with tight tolerances (±10µm). BMF’s printers are ideal for fabricating highly detailed porous architectures, such as wick structures with embedded fluidic channels, lattice scaffolds, and periodic metasurface geometries.
In the study, the researchers employed sintered copper powders layered with micron-scale precision using graphite molds to form artery patterns. While sintering was the method used here, similar ceramic and polymer wick structures could be fabricated with far greater flexibility using BMF’s high-resolution additive manufacturing. This includes the ability to fine-tune porosity, optimize fluid flow paths, and even directly print complex 3D unit cells—bypassing the limitations of mold-based methods.
BMF’s open-material system and support for advanced ceramics (such as alumina or zirconia) would allow for the development of high-temperature, corrosion-resistant evaporator wicks that go beyond copper in demanding applications.
The experimental results are compelling: wick structures with integrated arteries achieved up to 50% higher evaporation rates and thermal efficiency near unity. The optimized designs enabled consistent thin-film evaporation by avoiding dryout and maintaining a high liquid-vapor interfacial area. Such performance gains make these structures promising for solar-driven steam generation, adsorption chillers, and passive cooling systems.
With BMF’s micro 3D printers, researchers and engineers can rapidly prototype and iterate on wick designs, reducing development time while enabling previously unattainable microstructures. For applications requiring precise heat management or fluid transport—especially in miniaturized or wearable systems—these advances unlock new design freedoms.
This study not only advances the science of capillary-driven evaporation but also points toward the transformative potential of micro-precision 3D printing. BMF’s technology provides the resolution, accuracy, and material compatibility needed to push these thermal devices from experimental concept to scalable innovation. As systems shrink and efficiency demands rise, micro-architected wicks may well become a cornerstone of the next generation of thermal and energy technologies.
To read the full technical paper, click here. To learn more about the work the University of Michigan Engineering Heat Transfer Physics Lab is doing, check out the University Lab website.
