Accurate and rapid measurement of fluid thermal conductivity

Amin Kazemi, Mohammad Zargartalebi () and David Sinton ()
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Amin Kazemi: University of Toronto, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Mohammad Zargartalebi: University of Toronto, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
David Sinton: University of Toronto, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract A rapid energy transition will require new heat transfer fluids, and a faster means of discovering and optimizing them. Existing methods, however, are constrained by speed, accuracy, and sample volume — with accurate measurements requiring large sample volumes and long equilibration times. Here, we present a measurement approach that bypasses precise temperature measurement and heat flux measurements. Thermal conductivity, k, is determined by comparing thermally driven voltage variations across an array of resistive heaters embedded in fluid cavities. This measurement, relative to the reference material, minimizes errors from ambient temperature fluctuation, unquantified heat losses, and measurement uncertainties, and it eliminates direct temperature sensing. We report a microfluidic device and measurement method that implements in-run on-chip auto-calibration with a reference material; we test the device on a wide range of substances, including liquids, gases, mixtures, and nanofluids. It delivers results in

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65553-x

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