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.
Highlights
Naturally-occurring thermal materials usually possess specific thermal conductivity (κ), forming a digital set of κ values
Active thermal manipulations under varied conductive demands, including enhanced transparency, field contortion, inverse field distribution, and sensitive cloaking, are representatively confirmed, showing continuous tunability ranging from near-zero to near-infinity and high conveniences that are lacking in conventionally static thermalmaterials
We have proposed a new mechanism of tunable analog thermal material induced by a spinning component
Summary
Naturally-occurring thermal materials usually possess specific thermal conductivity (κ), forming a digital set of κ values. Based on the conventional design principle, these new digital materials still possess non-tunable thermal conductivities and fixed anisotropies, which bring great challenges in the adjustment and functional switching of thermal manipulations. Considering the conventional thermal materials and KNI material shown, one would be curious whether the entire range of conductivities can be strung within a single functional material to fill the gap of continuous tunability in conductive components, which is like an analog signal in electronics. Active thermal manipulations under varied conductive demands, including enhanced transparency, field contortion, inverse field distribution, and sensitive cloaking, are representatively confirmed, showing continuous tunability ranging from near-zero to near-infinity and high conveniences that are lacking in conventionally static thermal (meta)materials. The findings fill the gap of achieving active tunable conductivities/anisotropies and functional switching only by manipulating a homogeneous material layer
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