Research Initiation Award - Experimental and Multiscale Simulation Study of Nanoscale Thermal Transport and Evaporation/Boiling Heat Transfer using Self-assembled Nanoemulsions

University Of The District Of Columbia, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at his home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) has potential broader impact in a number of areas. The goal of the project is to investigate multiscale thermal transport and energetics of phase change inside self-assembled nanoemulsions in a non-invasive way through characterization of thermophysical properties and structural dynamics at precisely controlled interfacial structure, surface chemistry and external fields. Undergraduate students will gain research experiences and high school students are involved in the project. The principal investigator also offers tutorials at conferences, conducts a research symposium and workshop on multiscale thermal transport at UDC, and invites collaborators to give talks to students and faculty. The work is expected to reveal the fundamentals of intermolecular thermal transport and interfacial thermodynamics inside self-assembled nanoemulsions. The following questions will be addressed: How can different surface effects such as wettability be separated from roughness on boiling heat transfer? Can the highly disordered nucleate boiling process including bubble dynamics be precisely controlled? and What are the mechanisms behind boiling in micro/nanosized confined space and how do they affect phase change heat transfer? The questions will be answered by obtaining high spatial- and temporal-resolution data of boiling heat transfer and bubble dynamics of the phase changeable self-assembled nanoemulsions on a customized heater via a synchronized high speed camera and infrared thermography. A simulation model that can predict the multiscale and multiphase thermal transport processes of colloidal fluids on micro/nanostructured surfaces will be developed. The knowledge obtained from this project will contribute to a better understanding of multiscale and multiphase thermal transport, provide critical technical and simulation solutions to enable rational design of advanced thermal management systems, and promote further development of next-generation communication, medical and energy technologies.