Anisotropic Conductivity Research Articles

Flow and heat transfer characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel in lightweight C/SiC regenerative cooling combustor

To meet the requirements of higher thermal protection ability and lower structural weight of regenerative cooling structures in advanced hypersonic vehicles, carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites with high permittable service temperatures and low densities are promising for application in thermal protection systems. In this study, four cylindrical regenerative cooling configurations applying C/SiC composites for a designated scramjet engine combustor are proposed, and the thermal protection performance under the influence of the cooling equivalence ratio (0.4∼1.0) and anisotropic thermal conductivity is studied. The results show that the C/SiC composites can significantly improve the heat resistance of the entire regenerative cooling structure owing to their relatively low thermal conductivity, which reduces the total heat flux transferred to the inner structure. The thermal protection ability can be maintained, whereas the coolant flow rate is reduced by 50%. C/SiC composites with higher thermal conductivities in the circumferential direction are beneficial for uniform temperature distribution. A flow distribution deterioration phenomenon caused by the thermal cracking of the coolant and the increasing flow resistance in the cooling channels can be observed under certain conditions, leading to a mass flow rate difference of 2.5 times among the cooling channels. Moreover, introducing C/SiC composites into the regenerative cooling structure design can significantly reduce the total structural weight by over 50% compared to traditional superalloys.

Effect of Anisotropic Brain Conductivity on Patient-Specific Volume of Tissue Activation in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) modeling can improve surgical targeting by quantifying the spatial extent of stimulation relative to subcortical structures of interest. A certain degree of model complexity is required to obtain accurate predictions, particularly complexity regarding electrical properties of the tissue around DBS electrodes. In this study, the effect of anisotropy on the volume of tissue activation (VTA) was evaluated in an individualized manner. Tissue activation models incorporating patient-specific tissue conductivity were built for 40 Parkinson disease patients who had received bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS. To assess the impact of local changes in tissue anisotropy, one VTA was computed at each electrode contact using identical stimulation parameters. For comparison, VTAs were also computed assuming isotropic tissue conductivity. Stimulation location was considered by classifying the anisotropic VTAs relative to the STN. VTAs were characterized based on volume, spread in three directions, sphericity, and Dice coefficient. Incorporating anisotropy generated significantly larger and less spherical VTAs overall. However, its effect on VTA size and shape was variable and more nuanced at the individual patient and implantation levels. Dorsal VTAs had significantly higher sphericity than ventral VTAs, suggesting more isotropic behavior. Contrastingly, lateral and posterior VTAs had significantly larger and smaller lateral-medial spreads, respectively. Volume and spread correlated negatively with sphericity. The influence of anisotropy on VTA predictions is important to consider, and varies across patients and stimulation location. This study highlights the importance of considering individualized factors in DBS modeling to accurately characterize the VTA.

Boundary reconstruction in two-dimensional steady-state anisotropic heat conduction

Boundary reconstruction in two-dimensional steady-state anisotropic heat conduction

Functional substrate analysis in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

The aim of this study was to describe the correlation between atrial electrogram duration map (AEDUM), spatiotemporal electrogram dispersion (STED) and low voltage areas (LVA) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PsAF). The degree of left atrial (LA) tissue remodelling and augmented anisotropic conduction is one of the major issues related to PsAF ablation outcome. This study enrolled consecutive patients with PsAF undergoing pulmonary vein isolation. In all patients, voltage, AEDUM and STED maps were created, and the correlation was reported between these three mapping methods. A total of 40 patients with PsAF were enrolled. The mean age was 62.2 ± 7.4years, and males were 72.5% (n = 29). The overall bipolar voltage of the LA was 3.06 ± 1.87mV. All patients had at least one AEDUM area (overall AEDUM area: 21.8 ± 8.2 cm2); the mean longest electrogram (EGMs) duration was 90 ± 19ms. STED areas with < 120ms was 46.3 ± 20.2 cm2 which covered 45 ± 22% of the LA surface. AEDUM and STED areas were most frequently reported on the roof, the anterior wall and the septum. The extension of the AEDUM areas was significantly smaller than STED areas with CL < 120ms (21.8 ± 8.2 vs 46.3 ± 20.2; p-value < 0.0001). In 24 patients (60%), AEDUM areas was entirely included in the STED areas with CL < 120ms. In the three (7.5%) patients with LVA, no correspondence with STED and AEDUM was noted. AEDUM and STED maps allow to identify areas of conductive dysfunction as a possible atrial substrate even if a normal voltage is detected.

Anisotropic charge transport at the metallic edge contact of ReS2 field effect transistors

The in-plane anisotropy of electrical conductance in two-dimensional materials has garnered significant attention due to its potential in emerging device applications, offering an additional dimension to control carrier transport in 2D devices. However, previous research has primarily focused on the anisotropy within electrical channel, neglecting the significant impact of anisotropic electrical contacts of 2D materials. Here, we investigate anisotropic charge transport at the metal contacts of hBN-encapsulated ReS2 using edge-contacted Field Effect Transistors. We observed the marked difference in contact resistance between the cross-b and b directions, suggesting that charge transport from the metal to ReS2 is more efficient along the b direction. This difference in efficiency results in a substantial contact anisotropy, reaching ~70 at 77 K. Our findings indicate that the measured Schottky Barrier Height along the b direction is ~35 meV, which is smaller than along the cross-b direction. Moreover, the tunneling probability along the b direction is two times larger than along the cross-b direction. Our results indicate that both Schottky Barrier Height and tunneling amplitude are the primary contributors to the high contact anisotropy of ReS2. This work provides a valuable guideline for understanding how in-plane orientation influences charge transport at metallic contacts in 2D devices.

FFF print defect characterization through in-situ electrical resistance monitoring

Fused filament fabrication is a popular fabrication technique. Currently there is a need for in-situ monitoring modalities to gather real-time information on prints, both for quality control and closed-loop control. Despite current advancements, effective and affordable in-situ monitoring techniques for non-destructive defect detection of voids and bonding quality are still limited. This work demonstrates in-situ monitoring of fused filament fabrication through electrical resistance measurements as an alternative to thermal and optical methods. A new, easy-to-implement setup is demonstrated which measures the electrical resistance of a conductively doped filament between the nozzle and single or multi-electrodes on the bed. Defects can be located in an unprecedented way with the use of encoded axes in combination with the observed resistance variations throughout the part. A model of the anisotropic electrical conduction is used to interpret the measurements, which matches well with the data. Warping, inter-layer adhesion, under-extrusion and overhang sagging print defects can be observed in the measurements of parts with a complex geometry, which would be difficult to measure otherwise. Altogether in-situ electrical resistance monitoring offers a tool for optimising prints by online studying the influence of the print parameters for quality assessment and it opens up possibilities for closed-loop control.

Numerical Study on Effect of Flow Field Configuration on Air-Breathing Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Stacks

Air-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) show enormous potential in small and portable applications because of their brief construction time without the need for gas supply, humidification and cooling devices. In the current work, a 3D multiphase model of single air-breathing PEMFCs is developed by considering the contact resistance between the gas diffusion layer and bipolar plate and the anisotropic thermal conduction and electric conductive in the through-plane and in-plane directions. The 3D model presents good grid independence and agreement with the experimental polarization curve. The single PEMFC with the best open area ratio of 55% achieves the maximum peak power density of 179.3 mW cm−2. For the fuel cell stack with 10 single fuel cells, the application of the anode window flow field is beneficial to improve the stack peak power density compared to the anode serpentine flow field. The developed model is capable of providing assistance in designing high-performance air-breathing PEMFC stacks.

Study on Thermal Metamaterial for Uniform Surface Temperature Distribution

Abstract This paper proposes a thermal metamaterial based on the theory of thermodynamics transformation, which can achieve uniform temperature distribution. The required anisotropic thermal conductivity is theoretically derived. This thermal metamaterial structure is achieved by alternating aluminum and polyimide of different lengths. The temperature distribution under the condition of different convective heat transfer coefficients was simulated and compared with pure aluminum. The simulation and experimental results show that the metamaterial significantly reduced the non-uniformity of the temperature distribution.

DC3DPAFEM: An efficient and accurate 3-D direct current resistivity anisotropic forward modeling software for complex geological settings

Nowadays, there is a growing trend that direct current (DC) field surveys are shifting towards challenging areas characterized by mountainous topography and electrical anisotropy. Given these complex geological settings, there is an urgent need for 3-D DC forward modeling software capable of effectively addressing large-scale problems and delivering accurate modeling results to interpret field data. However, most open-source software packages face certain limitations, such as the high numerical cost to handle complex surface topography, the lack of consideration for anisotropic conductivity, the absence of mesh refinement techniques to guarantee accuracy in forward modeling, and the lack of parallel computing techniques to solve large-scale problems. In this study, we develop an efficient and highly accurate 3-D DC anisotropic forward modeling software, namely DC3DPAFEM, using the adaptive finite element algorithm based on the unstructured tetrahedral mesh. Firstly, we construct a strong compatible boundary value problem (BVP) for 3-D anisotropic DC problems by adopting a specialized secondary potential approach to handle the surface topography efficiently. Then, we develop a goal-oriented adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) technique to ensure accurate forward modeling results, even with a coarse initial mesh. To ensure time and memory efficiency, we employ a robust conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm preconditioned by the algebraic multigrid (AMG) solver to solve the large-scale linear system of equations resulting from complex geological structures. We aim to investigate the performance of the AMG scheme in anisotropic DC cases. Furthermore, we incorporate the domain decomposition technique into the iterative solution scheme for further efficiency gains. This technique significantly improves computing efficiency for large-scale problems in parallel clusters. Finally, we conduct comprehensive performance tests for DC3DPAFEM using a two-layer anisotropic model and a 3-D complex model with undulating terrain. The results of both examples validate the accuracy of DC3DPAFEM, as they closely align with the analytical solutions and the solutions obtained from the existing 3-D DC forward modeling code. Compared to traditional direct solver MUMPS and ILU-preconditioned iterative solvers, DC3DPAFEM exhibits highly scalable performance for large-scale problems, offering significant advantages in terms of memory and time consumption. Overall, DC3DPAFEM demonstrates substantial advances in efficiency, accuracy, and practicality through a series of numerical examples. This open-source code provides an efficient and available tool for developing a 3-D DC inversion method that can deal with large-scale problems involving intricate topography and anisotropic media.

Muscle-inspired MXene-based conductive hydrogel by magnetic induced for flexible multifunctional sensors

In recent years, conductive hydrogel-based flexible electronic sensor devices have gained widespread attention in the fields of flexible wearable devices, human-machine interaction interfaces, medical monitoring, etc. However, conventional conductive hydrogels struggle to concurrently achieve exceptional mechanical properties and high conductivity, often exhibiting isotropic mechanical performance and sensing characteristics. In contrast, biological tissues typically demonstrate anisotropic mechanical properties and sensing capabilities due to their ordered microstructure. Drawing inspiration from the ordered structures of biological tissues, this study proposed a simple strategy to fabricate high-strength anisotropic MXene-based conductive hydrogels. Initially, a magnetic and conductive two-dimensional nanohybrid material (PDA-Fe3O4-MXene) was synthesized via acid etching and PDA-mediated co-precipitation methods. Secondly, a magnetic field-induced orientation strategy was employed to induce the oriented arrangement of PDA-Fe3O4-MXene within a dual-network polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide (PAAm/PVA) hydrogel. Subsequently, the oriented PDA-Fe3O4-MXene structure was fixed in the dual-network hydrogel by the photopolymerization and freezing-thawing methods. The anisotropic conductive hydrogel exhibited a highly oriented structure, conferring its anisotropic mechanical properties and conductivity. Its mechanical and conductive performances were enhanced in an anisotropic manner, demonstrating outstanding tensile strength (156 KPa) and good conductivity (1.10 mS/cm). Moreover, the conductive hydrogel-based sensors showcased a broad working range (3 %–300 %), rapid response time (290 ms), high sensitivity, and exceptional stability. This work presents a novel approach for constructing flexible electronic devices based on anisotropic hydrogels, offering promising prospects for various applications.

On quantification of equivalent permeability tensor in sparsely fractured rock masses

The work presented in this paper is focused on the assessment of hydraulic conductivity in sparsely fractured rocks. Different simplified methodologies are used, including Oda's notion of permeability tensor as well as pipe network models, and the results are compared with those generated by a more accurate approach, which incorporates a constitutive law with embedded discontinuity (CLED). Several numerical examples involving fluid flow in the presence of discrete fracture networks are provided, and the estimates of principal values as well as eigenvectors of the equivalent conductivity tensor are compared for all methodologies employed. It is demonstrated that the predictions corresponding to pipe-network model, enhanced by the graph theory algorithm, are fairly consistent with CLED approach, particularly in terms of assessing the orientation of principal directions of permeability. A simple pragmatic procedure is therefore suggested for defining the anisotropic equivalent hydraulic conductivity operator.

Anisotropic Fourier Heat Conduction and phonon Boltzmann transport equation based simulation of time domain thermo-reflectance experiments

The anisotropic Fourier Heat Conduction Equation (FHCE) and the multidimensional phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) were solved numerically in cylindrical coordinates and in time domain to simulate a Time Domain Thermo-Reflectance (TDTR) experimental silicon/aluminum substrate/transducer setup. The out-of-phase response of the probe laser was predicted at various beam offset distances for a pump laser pulse frequency of 80 MHz and modulation frequency of 10 MHz and compared against experimental measurements for a silicon substrate. The isotropic FHCE was also solved for comparison. Results show that the isotropic FHCE with bulk thermal conductivity of 145 W/m/K significantly underpredicts the out-of-phase temperature difference, particularly at smaller beam offsets. With an isotropic thermal conductivity of 105 W/m/K, the computed results match experimental data at smaller beam offsets well, but overpredicts the experimental data at larger beam offsets. An almost-perfect match is obtained by using an anisotropic thermal conductivity wherein the radial (in-plane) thermal conductivity is set to 85 W/m/K and the axial (through-plane) conductivity is set to 130 W/m/K. The multidimensional frequency and polarization dependent phonon BTE is next solved. The BTE results for the out-of-phase temperature difference match experimental observations well at small and intermediate beam offsets, but overpredicts the experimental data at larger beam offsets. FHCE results are fitted to the BTE predictions, and the extracted (best fit) thermal conductivity is found to be 110 W/m/K.

Efficient modeling of heat conduction in multiply bonded composites covered with thermal barrier coating

In engineering practice, 3D (three-dimensional) composites consisting of multiply thin layers of anisotropic materials have been extensively applied. For enhancing their thermal endurance, the composites are often coated with a very thin layer of medium with low conductivity, usually referred to as the thermal barrier coating (TBC). This paper presents an efficient algorithm for the boundary element method (BEM) to accurately compute the nearly singular integrals in modeling 3D anisotropic heat conduction in TBC-coated composites, consisting of several thin anisotropic media. This algorithm is especially efficient because no analytical transformation of the integrands is involved as proposed in the past. When the TBC is prescribed with Dirichlet condition, a new equivalent convective condition is proposed to replace the TBC modeling. Moreover, thin films of adhesives on interfaces are considered by introducing interfacial conductance. In the end, several examples are presented.

Theoretical characterization and its application of electromagnetic anisotropy in high-temperature superconducting bulks under rotated postures

The electromagnetic anisotropy of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks limits their levitation ability in the applied magnetic fields from the permanent magnet guideway (PMG), thus impeding the enhancement of load-carrying capacity in HTS pinning maglev systems. Developing a suitable matching scheme between bulk orientation and magnetic field direction is a valuable way to relieve this restriction. In this paper, a method for characterizing bulk anisotropy in a rotating coordinate system is proposed to explore the best bulk orientation. The method is based on the concept of equivalent resistivity tensor and its eigenvectors, and includes an extended description of two types of anisotropy: conductivity anisotropy and magnetic field angle dependence. It provides a theoretical foundation for simulating anisotropic bulks under any rotated posture. Experimental investigations on the levitation force distribution of cylindrical bulks with different c-axis orientation were conducted, through which the accuracy of the characterization method and calculated results were validated. Analysis of current distribution reveals that aligning the c-axis parallel to the external magnetic field helps achieve the best match between the bulk and the PMG. Additionally, considering that the two types of anisotropy have opposite effects on levitation force distribution trends, prioritizing conductivity anisotropy when analyzing anisotropic bulk is recommended. This research not only offers a theoretical framework for simulating the anisotropy of rotated HTS bulks but also provides guidance for matching the optimal bulk orientation in applied magnetic fields.

Structural evolution and thermoelectric performance in (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)n compounds

Exploring the relationship between crystal structure and thermoelectric performance is a pivotal topic in the thermoelectric field. In this study, we have comprehensively investigated the correlation between the structural evolution of (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)n pseudo-binary system and the thermoelectric properties. The proportion of van der Waals bonds increases with the rising Sb2Te3 content, resulting in an increase in the anisotropy of the electrical conductivity and a decrease in the average sound velocity. Additionally, the cation sites in the crystal lattice of these compounds exhibit a mixed occupancy of Ge/Sb atoms, although the cation sites adjacent to the van der Waals gaps are predominantly occupied by Sb atoms. The ultra-low lattice thermal conductivity of the GST124 and GST147 compounds is mainly attributed to the high concentration of van der Waals bonds and enhanced phonon scattering arising from Ge/Sb mixed cation occupancy and high density of defect structures. The high electrical conductivity combined with the low lattice thermal conductivity enables GST124 and GST147 compounds to achieve a maximum ZT value of 0.56 and 0.57, respectively. Higher thermoelectric performance can be achieved through optimization of the microstructure as well as the carrier concentration.

Peculiarities of the electronic properties in the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

The electrical conductivity σ0(T) of single-crystal and polycrystalline samples of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 was measured in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. The optical characteristics σ(ω), ɛ1(ω), ɛ2(ω) and R(λ) of MnBi2Te4 were studied in the spectral range from 1250 to 36000 cm−1 at room temperature. The anisotropy of the electrical conductivity of MnBi2Te4 was found, which arises due to the additional contribution from scattering on layer boundaries. The optical spectrum of MnBi2Te4 is formed predominantly due to interband absorption of a light wave. Despite the qualitatively similar behavior of the optical characteristics, there is some difference between poly- and single crystals in infrared region.

Emergent two-band conduction at Ti delta-doped LaAlO3/KTaO3 (111) heterointerface

Recently, several intriguing interfacial phenomena have been discovered at the KTaO3 (111)-based heterointerfaces, such as the two-dimensional electron gas, superconductivity, anisotropic conductivity, etc. However, the available techniques to systematically manipulate such interfacial states are quite limited. Here, we devise a delta-doping strategy by inserting a sub-nanometer Ti layer with distinct reducibilities to the LaAlO3/KTaO3 (111) interface. In the delta-doped samples, we observe an unforeseen two-band conduction, evidenced by the emergence of a new type of electron carrier with an order-of-magnitude enhancement of mobility (∼1800 cm2V−1s−1) than the original carriers. Moreover, the appearance of the high-mobility carriers causes a sharp transition between the non-Fermi-liquid superconducting state and the Fermi-liquid state with reduced spin–orbit scattering. Further evidence shows that the new type of carriers stems from another in-gap state with a shallower energy level compared to the original carriers. Our study broadens the spectrum of interfacial carrier manipulation by introducing an extra band/channel for carrier conduction, which not only opens up new possibilities in device applications but also shines a light on the underlying physics of interfacial superconductivity.

A new test section made via additive manufacturing to perform local heat flux measurements

Recent advancements in the field of additive manufacturing have enabled the realization of products that were previously almost unattainable. In the field of heat transfer, the production of heat exchangers through additive manufacturing is promising because it allows for the creation of more compact heat exchangers that can be tailored to specific requirements with optimized and complex geometries. However, also heat transfer devices that must be specifically realized for heat transfer research purposes can benefit from the characteristics of the additive manufacturing technology. This paper presents an innovative test section created through additive manufacturing technology with the aim to investigate two-phase heat transfer of refrigerants inside a 2.9 mm internal diameter channel. Water is used as a secondary fluid to reject/extract the heat. As a first step, a CFD analysis was performed to design a special geometry for the test section allowing a local measurement of the heat transfer coefficient along the channel. The test section was realized with the DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology using the AlSi10Mg alloy. Despite the benefits introduced by this manufacturing process, DMLS technology can lead to anisotropy in the thermal conductivity of the test section material. Thus, cylindrical samples were produced by DMLS with different building orientations to perform specific measurements of the thermal conductivity by using the Hot Disk technique. Preliminary local heat transfer coefficients were measured with refrigerant R1234ze(E) during condensation at 40 °C saturation temperature and mass flux 150 - 200 kg m−2 s−1. Experimental heat transfer results are compared against predictions obtained from a correlation available in the literature.

Dielectric, electrical and thermal properties of Sodium Molybdate-hexagonal Boron Nitride composites enabled by cold sintering

Advances in 5G and 6G communication technologies and their applications are in part limited by the capabilities of current electronic packaging materials, as expanded bandwidth is a pressing need for novel dielectric substrates capable of co-firing into packages and devices, characterized by low dielectric loss and enhanced thermal conductivity. This investigation provides further characterization in the dielectric, electrical and thermal conductivity properties over previously reported cold sintered composite of Sodium Molybdate Na2Mo2O7 (NMO) with hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN), such as relative permittivity (εr) and dielectric loss (tan δ) values at high frequencies of 75–110 GHz, electrical resistivity (ρ) fitting to percolation theory, Weibull statistical analysis of electrical breakdown strength (Eb) and its anisotropic thermal conductivity (κ) influenced by the filler's crystal structure. The cold sintered composites were systematically characterized with respect to filler volume fraction, temperature, and frequency. The findings in this analysis position engineered composites as a promising alternative for microwave substrate materials, with using a densification method that limits interactions and maximizes densification, hence the demonstration with cold sintering.

Improved thermal properties of phase change composites reinforced by Cu nanoparticles modified anisotropic carbon rolls

The scalability of phase change materials (PCMs) for industrial applications is impeded by issues such as leakage during phase transition, suboptimal thermal conductivity, and insufficient photothermal absorption. This research introduces advanced phase change composites (PCCs) reinforced by Cu nanoparticle-enriched porous carbon rolls. These rolls are derived from cotton cloth sheets and are serviced as a scaffold to embed Cu nanoparticles, substantially enhancing interlayer thermal transport. The PCCs are synthesized through a vacuum impregnation process, utilizing paraffin wax as the PCM, yielding a composite with augmented thermal conductivity and improved structural integrity. This innovation elevates anisotropic thermal conductivity values, achieving axial and radial conductivities of 3.4 W/(m·K) and 2 W/(m·K), respectively. The PCCs exhibit advanced solar-thermal-electric energy conversion performance, positioning them as impactful materials for applications in solar energy collection, thermal energy storage, and thermal management.