Thermotunneling Systems for Advanced Efficient Cooling

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Arik ◽  
Stanton Weaver ◽  
James W. Bray
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
The Other ◽  
Junction Temperature ◽  
Thermodynamic Efficiency ◽  
Dual Use ◽  
Radiation Heat ◽  
Field Radiation

Refrigeration for electronics components has been studied to keep the junction temperature below allowable limits. Thermoelectrics have been investigated heavily for their dual use over the last six decades These devices can be used for both cooling and power generation. Thermotunneling devices, on the other hand, have been known only for the last two decades, and nobody has been able to manufacture or show the performance of those devices. In this study, we will discuss the thermodynamic efficiency of these systems and design bottlenecks to reach high efficiencies, such as thermal back path and electrical losses. Concepts for possible device designs will be discussed. Then attention will be turned to near field radiation heat transfer that becomes critical in nano scale device designs.

Thermal transport across a pair of thin silicon films with the presence of minute vacuum gap: effect of film thickness on thermal characteristics

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (9) ◽  
pp. 933-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haider Ali ◽  
Bekir Sami Yilbas
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
Radiation Heat ◽  
Field Radiation ◽  
Thin Silicon ◽  
Vacuum Gap

Energy transport across a pair of thin silicon films with the vacuum gap at the films interface is studied. The Boltzmann transport equation is incorporated in the analysis and the solution for the transient frequency-dependent phonon distribution across the films pair is presented. To assess the phonon characteristics, equivalent equilibrium temperature is introduced, which resembles the average energy of all phonons around a local point when they redistribute adiabatically to an equilibrium state. Because the gap size is comparable to the mean free path of silicon, a near-field radiation heat transfer is incorporated across the film edges at the interface. The frequency cutoff method is used at the interface of the films and the phonons jump across the gap resembling the ballistic phonon contribution to the energy transport is accommodated. The thermal conductivity data predicted are validated with the data obtained from the previous study. The effect of near-field radiation heat transfer on temperature increase at the edges of the film, across the gap interface, is not considerable as compared to that corresponding to phonons transmitted across the gap. Increasing the first film thickness increases temperature difference across the gap, which is more pronounced for large gap sizes.

scholarly journals Gate voltage and doping effects on near-field radiation heat transfer in plasmonic heterogeneous pairs of graphene and black phosphorene

RSC Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (50) ◽  
pp. 29173-29181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desalegn T. Debu ◽  
M. Hasan Doha ◽  
Hugh O. H. Churchill ◽  
Joseph B. Herzog
Keyword(s):  
2D Materials ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Plasmon Coupling ◽  
Radiation Heat ◽  
Doping Effects ◽  
Black Phosphorene ◽  
Matter Interaction ◽  
Field Radiation ◽  
Light Matter Interaction

Plasmon coupling and hybridization in 2D materials plays a significant role for controlling light–matter interaction at the nanoscale.

scholarly journals An experiment on full-day power generation building fabric component for zero-energy buildings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingming Li
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Radiation Heat ◽  
Obvious Effect ◽  
Full Day ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Thermal electricity generation (TEG) is a potential method to utilize energy emitted from the built environment. This work presents a prototype of the low-cost full-day power generation solar building component, which can be integrated as the building fabric or as a part of the solar panels. The size of the prototype is 0.04 m2. The overall cost is less than 25 USD. The prototype is tested in various environments to validate its performance. The first experiment tests its performance under the radiation of a high-temperature source, the prototype can generate the highest voltage of 0.8 V. In onsite experiments, it can reach a maximum value of 10 mW/m2 under sunlight. It can also work at night depending on the thermal radiation of the environment. It can also be used in different weather; the performance is even better than the nighttime. The experiments indicate that radiation heat transfer has a stronger influence on energy conversion than the convective heat transfer. The relative humidity has a certain influence on its performance, but there is no obvious effect of radiation heat transfer. Although the prototype has great potential, there are still limitations, and this article also discusses the problems. Meanwhile, this article also points out possible directions for improving design in the future. The results in this article might be helpful for zero-energy buildings and low-carbon buildings.

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