Tunable analog thermal material

Guoqiang Xu, Kaichen Dong, Ying Li, Huagen Li, Kaipeng Liu, Longqiu Li, Junqiao Wu and Cheng-Wei Qiu ()
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Guoqiang Xu: National University of Singapore
Kaichen Dong: University of California, Berkeley
Ying Li: National University of Singapore
Huagen Li: National University of Singapore
Kaipeng Liu: National University of Singapore
Longqiu Li: State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology
Junqiao Wu: University of California, Berkeley
Cheng-Wei Qiu: National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Naturally-occurring thermal materials usually possess specific thermal conductivity (κ), forming a digital set of κ values. Emerging thermal metamaterials have been deployed to realize effective thermal conductivities unattainable in natural materials. However, the effective thermal conductivities of such mixing-based thermal metamaterials are still in digital fashion, i.e., the effective conductivity remains discrete and static. Here, we report an analog thermal material whose effective conductivity can be in-situ tuned from near-zero to near-infinity κ. The proof-of-concept scheme consists of a spinning core made of uncured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and fixed bilayer rings made of silicone grease and steel. Thanks to the spinning PDMS and its induced convective effects, we can mold the heat flow robustly with continuously changing and anisotropic κ. Our work enables a single functional thermal material to meet the challenging demands of flexible thermal manipulation. It also provides platforms to investigate heat transfer in systems with moving components.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19909-0

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