CAREER: Measurements, understanding, and control of interfacial thermal transport and recruiting young minorities to science and engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

National Science Foundation ABSTRACT Proposal Number: CTS-0547122 Principal Investigator: Scott T. Huxtable Affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Proposal Title: CAREER: Measurements, Understanding, and Control of Interfacial Thermal Transport and Recruiting Young Minorities to Science and Engineering This CAREER Award proposes to experimentally investigate nanoscale thermal transport across solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces. The PI will utilize non-contact picosecond optical techniques to simultaneously measure thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance at the nanoscale. Experimental work will be conducted on solid-liquid interfaces with various surface chemistries and solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces at atmospheric and elevated pressures. With respect to Intellectual Merit, the main research objective of the proposed work is to enhance our understanding of the physics that control thermal conductance across solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces. This will be accomplished by: (1) examining the role that surface chemistry, e.g. hydrophobic and hydrophilic monolayers, plays in interface thermal conductance, (2) exploration of the potential use of functional groups to thermally bridge between vibrationally stiff solid materials and soft liquids and polymers, (3) experimental observations of interface thermal conductance and thermal conductivity at elevated pressure where phonon modes and interface coupling are altered, and (4) isolation of electron-phonon coupling at interfaces between liquid metals and non-metals, and comparison with possible phonon-phonon coupling at interfaces between solid metals and non-metals. The outcome of this work will be a more complete understanding of the mechanisms responsible for heat flow between dissimilar materials which will result in: the improved design of thermoelectric and thermionic devices with high efficiency, better thermal management of power electronics and micro power systems, and better control of heat transfer in composite materials. The project is conceived in such a way as to emphasize the broader impacts of the work to a diverse group of people. Each year the PI will bring two at-risk, yet promising, minority high school students from low-income schools in Utica, NY to his lab for a summer of research and learning. The PI also will develop a new course on Nanoengineering which will partially include results obtained from the proposed technical work, but will broadly cover areas of nanoscience/technology that are related to traditional mechanical engineering topics of study.