Thermal Conduction Research Articles

Carbon fiber/boron nitride fillers for enhancing through-plane thermal conductivity of poly(vinylidene fluoride): Synergistic effect and mechanism

Two series of thermally conductive poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composites were prepared by adding boron nitride (BN) and carbon fiber (CF) of different mass ratios via hot-pressing. The synergistic effects of the dual fillers on the thermal conductivity enhancement were investigated. The morphology, thermal conductivity, crystallinity, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and long-term chemical stability of the PVDF composites were characterized. The results demonstrated a significant synergistic effect between the BN and the CF on enhancing the thermal conductivity of the PVDF-based composites. The maximum thermal conductivity of 1.89 W/(m·K) with an improvement of 1014 % was achieved when 15 wt% BN and 15 wt% CF were added in the PVDF matrix. The synergistic effect resulted in the formation of efficient three-dimensional thermally conductive networks with a synergistic efficiency up to 113 %. The Agari model was employed to illustrate the thermal conduction mechanism, revealing the improved ability of the dual fillers to form conductive pathways. The PVDF composites showed good crystallinity, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and long-term chemical stability. This study highlights the potential of the PVDF/BN/CF composites for applications in membrane heat exchangers and provides significant insights into the design of high-performance thermally conductive polymer composites.

High-power fiber laser incident beam absorptivity variation of molten pool surfaces during their solid-liquid-gas state evolution

The thermal and ablation effects of lasers are widely used in laser additive manufacturing, laser welding, laser cleaning, and laser cladding technologies. Absorptivity is the core index of laser beam-thermal energy conversion efficiency. This paper analyzed the irradiated material's absorption behavior during the solid-liquid-gas evolution of laser-ablated metal surfaces by comparing the temperature fields and the corresponding weld cross-sections for different laser action periods, considering the fusion and vaporization latent heats. The solid-liquid-gas state evolution of high-power fiber laser-irradiated metal surfaces occurs during several milliseconds, with a short solid-phase existence period, since fusion or melting time is much shorter than the vaporization time. As the solid-liquid-gas state evolves, the average absorptivity and the share of thermal conduction energy loss decrease with the laser action time, while the fusion energy loss gradually increases. The solid-phase surface of the metal in laser processing absorbs significantly more incident laser energy than the liquid-phase one. The longer the solid-phase occurrence period of the metal surface during the laser action, the greater its average absorptivity of the incident laser. By increasing the laser spot area and scanning rate, the solid-phase period of the laser-irradiated metal surface can be increased, improving its incident laser absorptivity.

Geologic and thermal conductivity analysis based on geophysical test and combined modeling

Strata thermal conductivity (λe) influences efficiency of medium-depth ground heat exchangers. However, a systematic approach to the acquisition of λe is still lacking. Hence, stratigraphic heat conduction was analyzed using geophysical test in Shenyang, combined with composite modeling. Cenozoic strata (0–730m) exhibited an average λe of 1.32 W·m−1·K−1 due to higher porosity and mud content; Archaean (730–2500m) strata displayed a higher λe of 2.80 W·m−1·K−1, due to dense quartz sandstone with lower porosity and mud content. The CBHE in Shenyang can achieve excellent heat extraction relying on good thermal conduction. Spearman correlation revealed strong negative correlations between λe and acoustic time difference, permeability, and porosity, while positive correlations were observed with depth, resistivity, wave speed, and rock skeleton. Higher rock skeleton thermal conductivity intensified the decrement effect of mud content on λe, while higher mud content diminished the enhancement effect of rock skeleton thermal conductivity. As porosity increased, the decline in λe slowed, particularly pronounced at higher saturation levels. λe exhibited a gradual decrease with temperature, with a more notable change rate observed at lower porosity levels. Principles for enhancing thermal conduction were elucidated through a three-phase analysis. These findings provide foundation for the study and design of medium-depth boreholes.

Thermoelastic damping in asymmetric vibrations of nonlocal circular plate resonators with Moore-Gibson-Thompson heat conduction

Precise estimation of the amount of thermoelastic damping (TED) in small-sized resonators is one of the crucial issues in their optimal design. According to several experimental, numerical and theoretical findings, the behavior of structures with such small dimensions in structural and thermal domains does not follow classical elasticity theory and the Fourier law of heat conduction. The objective of this work is to develop a nonclassical formulation for computing TED in asymmetric vibrations of circular nanoplates according to nonlocal theory (NT) and Moore-Gibson-Thompson (MGT) heat transfer model. To do so, first, the coupled equations of motion and heat are derived in the purview of NT and MGT model. Then, the real and imaginary parts of the system frequency are extracted from the frequency equation affected by thermoelastic coupling. Finally, by means of the existing definition for TED, a mathematical expression including nonlocal parameter of NT and nonclassical constants of MGT model is obtained to make an estimate of TED value. In the numerical examples section, to ensure the credibility of the provided formulation, the results obtained through this model are compared with those reported in the literature in the context of simpler models. Then, by presenting various graphical data, the type and extent of the role of different factors in TED changes are appraised. The obtained results indicate that employing NT and MGT model can substantially impact the amount of TED compared to the estimations of the classical formulation. Furthermore, the comparison of results reveals that the magnitude of TED in asymmetric vibration modes surpasses that in symmetric ones, and consequently incorporating asymmetric vibration modes is crucial for thorough analysis of TED in circular nanoplates. Thus, the formulation presented in this article can aid in achieving an optimal design for such plates, particularly in terms of minimizing energy loss.

Heterogeneous interface engineering of spindle shaped Fe/C through optimizing impedance response for enhanced microwave absorption and thermal conductivity

Heterogeneous interface design is pivotal in creating lightweight, broadband, and high-efficiency electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials. These materials enhance wave absorption by adaptively matching impedance. In this study, spindle-shaped Fe/C nanocomposites with heterogeneous interfaces and diverse surface microtopographies were synthesized by calcining iron-supported metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). During controlled pyrolysis, Fe3+ was reduced by carbon and conversely induced the graphitization of carbon, which is essential for the distribution and appearance of Fe and graphitized carbon as well as for modulating impedance matching. The porous structure of the Fe/C composites and the polarization loss and ferromagnetic resonance from the defective carbon and Fe magnetic particles synergistically enhance the wave absorption performance. The Fe/C-700 nanocomposite achieves a reflection loss (RL) of −55.9 dB at 12.48 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL ≤ −10 dB) of 3.9 GHz at 1.8 mm. The Fe/C-900 nanocomposite demonstrates a significant RL of −63.5 dB at 15.8 GHz with an EAB of 4.4 GHz between 13.6 GHz and 18 GHz at 1.5 mm, and an EAB of 5.5 GHz at 1.63 mm. These improvements are attributed to the impedance matching facilitated by the introduction of Fe magnetic particles and graphitized carbon. Additionally, the thermal conduction pathway formed among the Fe/C nanocomposites significantly enhances the thermal conductivity to 0.502 W m−1 K−1. Thus, this work offers a novel approach to the design of advanced wave-absorbing and thermal conductive materials by optimizing impedance through heterogeneous interfaces.

Piperazine pyrophosphate-functionalized Ni-MOF metal framework: Fabrication and synergistic explosion suppression mechanisms

Dust explosion suppression is crucial for ensuring safe industrial operations. To explore composite explosion suppression powders with higher performance, piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP)-functionalized nickel-based metal–organic framework (PAPP@Ni-MOF) synergistic suppression materials were designed and synthesized. The effectiveness of this suppressant in inhibiting the explosion flame and intensity of polypropylene (PP) dust was investigated using explosion flame propagation and explosion pressure test apparatus. The results indicate that the combination of N/P elements and Ni-MOF exhibits excellent catalytic carbonization performance. Adding 50 wt% PAPP@Ni-MOF can completely inhibit the propagation of PP explosion flames and the rise in explosion pressure. The maximum propagation distance of the explosion flame was reduced by 78.07 %, the overall flame propagation speed decreased by 84.54 %, and the maximum explosion pressure was reduced by 76.87 %. Through characterization experiments, the products before and after the explosion were analyzed. Combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results, the efficient synergistic explosion suppression mechanism of PAPP@Ni-MOF for PP dust was revealed from the perspectives of thermal conduction isolation, key radical recombination, and volatile gas adsorption.

Microphysics of shock-grain interaction for inertial confinement fusion ablators in a fluid approach.

Ablator materials used for inertial confinement fusion, such as high-density carbon (HDC) and beryllium, have grain structure which may lead to small-scale density nonuniformity and the generation of perturbations when the materials are shocked and compressed. Here, we use a combination of a linear theory of shock interaction with density nonuniformity [Velikovich et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 072706 (2007)10.1063/1.2745809] and numerical simulations to study shock interaction with a model representation of HDC grains. While the shock-grain interaction is nonlinear, the linear theory shows some key features of the shock-grain interaction, which also hold for the (nonlinear) simulations. The postshock perturbations are made up of sonic reflections off of grain boundaries and vorticity deposition along them, with the latter dominating the perturbed energy content. The mean (per mass) postshock perturbed kinetic energy decreases with increasing grain size, but energy will be deposited at increasing spatial scale. From the perspective of the postshock perturbed energy, the detailed linear theory largely supports a proposed method [S. Davidovits et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 112708 (2022)1070-664X10.1063/5.0107534] for deresolving the grains (in a similar grains model) that treats the grains statistically. Our simulation results highlight the influence of thermal conduction on the perturbation dynamics at grain scales.

Vertically Aligned Carbon Fiber/Aluminum Particle/Silicone Rubber Composites with High Thermal Conduction and Desired Mechanical Performance

Vertically Aligned Carbon Fiber/Aluminum Particle/Silicone Rubber Composites with High Thermal Conduction and Desired Mechanical Performance

Structural Landscape and Proton Conduction of Lanthanide 5-(Dihydroxyphosphoryl)isophthalates.

Metal phosphonate-carboxylate compounds represent a promising class of materials for proton conduction applications. This study investigates the structural, thermal, and proton conduction properties of three groups of lanthanide-based compounds derived from 5-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)isophthalic acid (PiPhtA). The crystal structures, solved ab initio from X-ray powder diffraction data, reveal that groups Ln-I, Ln[O3P-C6H3(COO)(COOH)(H2O)2] (Ln = La, Pr), and Ln-II, Ln2{[O3P-C6H3(COO)(COOH)]2(H2O)4}·2H2O (Ln = La, Pr, Eu), exhibit three-dimensional frameworks, while group Ln-III, Ln[O3P-C6H3(COO)(COOH)(H2O)] (Ln = Yb), adopts a layered structure with unbonded carboxylic groups oriented toward the interlayer region. All compounds feature carboxylic groups and coordinating water molecules. Impedance measurements demonstrate that these materials exhibit water-mediated proton conductivity, initially following a vehicle-type proton-transfer mechanism. Upon exposure to ammonia vapors from a 14 or 28% aqueous solution, compounds from groups II and III adsorb ammonia and water, leading to an enhancement in proton conductivity consistent with a Grotthuss-type proton-transfer mechanism. Notably, group II of the studied compounds undergoes the formation of a new expanded phase through the internal reaction of carboxylic groups with ammonia, coexisting with the as-synthesized phase. This postsynthetic modification results in a significant increase in proton conductivity, from approximately ∼5 × 10-6 to ∼10-4 S·cm-1 at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity (RH), attributed to a mixed intrinsic/extrinsic contribution. Remarkably, the NH3(28%)-exposed Yb-III compound achieves an enhancement in proton conductivity, reaching ∼ 5 × 10-3 S·cm-1 at 80 °C and 95% RH, primarily through an extrinsic contribution.

A novel nanoscale FD-SOI MOSFET with energy barrier and heat-sink engineering for enhanced electric field uniformity

This paper aims to present a novel method to mitigate the undesirable issues associated with short-channel-effects (SCEs) and the critical lattice temperature of a fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) MOSFET in the nanoscale regime. The proposed approach is based on simultaneously merging the energy barrier and heat-sink engineering simultaneously. Hafnium oxide as a high-k dielectric inside the channel region around the drain region is embedded to redistribute the band energy resulting in the enhancement of the energy barrier. This reformation of the band profile reduces variations in the channel depletion charge volume percentage caused by the drain voltage, thereby mitigating short-channel effects (SCEs). In order to promote effective thermal conduction, a portion of the buried oxide is replaced by doped P-type silicon which acts as an effective heat-sink. The devices under the investigation have been simulated using SILVACO software, considering the comprehensive physical models. Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL), leakage current, Ion to Ioff ratio, subthreshold swing, hot carrier effect and lattice temperature as the essential parameters have been successfully improved for the proposed device in comparison to the conventional device.

Comparative investigation of heat extraction performance in 3D self-affine rough single fractures using CO2,N2O and H2O as heat transfer fluid

The type and thermophysical properties of heat transfer fluids significantly impact the heat extraction rate of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). Studies based on field-scale stochastic discrete fracture network geometric models have certain limitations and uncertainties. To compare the heat extraction performance of heat transfer fluids H2O, CO2, and N2O in a core-scale (φ50 × 100 mm) rough single fracture in hot dry rock, we first constructed the fracture geometry with rock surface roughness characteristics using a fractal self-affine function, with a joint roughness coefficient (JRC) of 12.38. Then, at temperatures ranging from 37 to 300°C and a pressure of 30 MPa, we established a thermo-hydraulic (TH) coupling model based on the thermophysical parameter equations of the three heat transfer fluids. Finally, we conducted a comparative study of the changes in the outlet mean temperature and heat extraction rate after flowing through the fracture, as well as the temperature distribution on the fracture surface, under conditions of constant inlet flow velocity with varying inlet temperature and constant inlet temperature with varying inlet flow velocity. The results indicate that (1) with the increase in inlet flow velocity and temperature, the outlet mean temperature and heat extraction rate of CO2 and N2O at the fracture outlet are essentially the same and lower than those of H2O. (2) When the inlet flow velocity increases from 0.005 m/s to 0.025 m/s, the thermal convection effect from the rock matrix to the fluid in the fracture predominates, and flow velocity is the main factor affecting the heat transfer process between the fluid and the rock matrix. When the inlet temperature increases from 37°C to 57°C, the thermal conduction effect from the rock matrix to the fluid in the fracture predominates, and temperature is the main factor affecting the heat transfer process between the fluid and the rock matrix.(3)When maintaining constant inlet temperature, increasing inlet flow velocity from 0.005 m/s to 0.025 m/s results in CO2 experiencing a maximum heat extraction rate increase of 118.85 W. In contrast, N2O experiences 117.05 W, and H2O experiences 266.4 W.(4) When the inlet flow rate is constant, the maximum increase in heat extraction rate for CO2 is 15.34 W as the inlet temperature increases from 37 °C to 57 °C; for N2O, it is 13.9 W; and for H2O, it is 45.45 W.

Study on the delamination damage prediction of wind turbine blade spar cap based on morphology feature recognition

In order to study the degradation of local mechanical properties caused by delamination defects of wind turbine blades, a progressive damage prediction method of blade spar cap based on quantitative identification of delamination morphology features by infrared thermal image was proposed in this paper. Firstly, based on the thermal conduction theory of laminate plates, infrared thermal imaging technology was used to realize quantitatively identify delamination morphology features. Then, based on the cohesive zone model (CZM) and the classical laminate theory (CLT), a numerical analysis model of unidirectional laminate with delamination defects was established, and the accuracy of the numerical model was verified by comparison with the experimental results of axial tensile and compressive displacement loads. Finally, a 2 MW-45.3 blade spar cap with maximum chord cross-section was used as a prediction model, and the effect of different delamination sizes and depths on the failure mode, failure strength and damage evolution of the blade spar cap was successfully predicted by using the equivalent fatigue load. The research shows that the delamination depth has a more profound influence on the damage of spar cap compared with the delamination size. With the increase of delamination depth, the delamination failure modes undergo the evolution process of non-buckling, local buckling, delamination expansion and strength failure. Shallow delamination causes local buckling and strength failure of blade spar cap. When the delamination depth reaches half of the spar cap thickness, the delamination extends to intralaminar and interlaminar, the local failure changes to global failure.

NiCo@EG-based composite PCMs with boosted thermal conductivity and photothermal conversion efficiency for solar energy harvesting

The application of phase change materials (PCMs) in solar energy is hampered by challenges such as insufficient photothermal conversion efficiency, low thermal conductivity and leakage. In this study, a novel composite PCMs based on NiCo@EG were prepared to solve the problems of low thermal conductivity, high leakage rate and inefficient photothermal performance. The NiCo@EG is obtained through calcination of the product of Ni-Co-BTC in-situ on expanded graphite (EG). In the composite PCMs, the octadecanol (OD) acts as a latent heat storage unit, the EG retains its porous network structure as an encapsulating skeleton. The nickel and cobalt nanoparticles derived from Ni-Co-BTC bimetallic organic frameworks are uniformly fixed on the surface of the EG, which could not only construct multiple thermal conduction pathways, but also enhance the photon-trapping ability. Benefiting from the synergy effect of nickel, cobalt metal nanoparticles and EG, the prepared OD/NiCo@EG-550 composite PCMs display high latent heat (168.3 J/g), excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (98.71 %), and improved thermal conductivity of 12.873 W/(m·K). Furthermore, the composite PCMs demonstrate exceptional shape stability, thermal stability, and robust thermal reliability. In summary, the high-efficiency photothermal composite PCMs display significant potential in improving the utilization of solar energy.

Protruding Boron Nitride Nanotubes on the Al2O3 Surface Enabled by Tannic Acid-Assisted Modification to Fabricate a Thermal Conductive Epoxy/Al2O3 Composite.

Over the past few years, the ability to efficiently increase boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) production has opened up ample research possibilities. BNNT has garnered significant attention for diversifying its industrial applications. However, the problem of poor processability resulting from agglomeration and uneven distribution has emerged as a major challenge to integrating BNNT into the polymer matrix for composite material formation. Utilizing noncovalently attached molecules with various reactive sites can be a logical method to enhance the compatibility of BNNT with different polymers. The present study explored a simple approach to protruding BNNT onto the surface of Al2O3 through tannic acid (TA)-assisted generation of alkyl chains (octadecylamine, ODA) to fabricate Al2O3@ODA-BNNT. The subsequent compounding of Al2O3@ODA-BNNT with epoxy polymer generates interconnected thermal conduction pathways, thereby improving the thermal conduction and mechanical performance of the composites. The current research approach allows for the even distribution of BNNT throughout the polymer matrix, as demonstrated by optical characterization, mechanical performance analysis, and isotropic thermal conductivity analysis. The fabricated epoxy composite by incorporating a 2 wt % (BNNT = 1.3 wt % and ODA = 0.7 wt %) ODA-BNNT exhibited 5.117 W/mK thermal conductivity and 7.43 MPa mechanical stress. Thermal conductivity improved by 2528, 76.56, and 54.7%, while mechanical stress enhanced by 270, 221, and 34% compared to neat polymers without BNNT and virgin BNNT epoxy composites, respectively.

Shaping Thermal Transport and Temperature Distribution via Anisotropic Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites.

With the ongoing electrification of vehicles, thermal management is on everyone's lips. To prevent overheating in electronic systems, new design strategies for thermal dissipation are needed. Thermally anisotropic materials enable targeted directional heat transport due to their anisotropic thermal conduction. Laminates made of unidirectionally aligned carbon fibers in a polymer matrix can be tailored regarding their in-plane anisotropy. Exposing the laminates to a temperature gradient reveals that the thermal transport is determined by their anisotropic properties. The corresponding heat flow can be visualized by IR thermography. The combination of anisotropic laminate discs into composite materials, similar to building with toy bricks, enables precise control of heat transport in the macroscopic composite materials. Thus, we achieve control of heat flow at the level of the individual components. In addition, we show that the orientation of anisotropy relative to the temperature gradient is crucial to guide the heat flow selectively. We found that the ratio of thermal anisotropy, the amount and arrangement of anisotropic components, and their positioning in the composite strongly influence heat transport. By combining all these factors, we are able to locally control the heat flow in composites by creating materials to either dissipate heat or block heat transport. The proposed concept can be extended to different shapes of building blocks in two or three dimensions.

Bioinspired Functional Composites for Enhanced Thermally Conductivity via Fractal-Growth CuNP Fillers.

Thermal conduction for electronic devices has attracted extensive attention in light of the development of 5G communication. Thermally conductive materials with high thermal conductivity and extensive mechanical flexibility are extremely desirable in practical applications. However, the construction of efficient interconnected conductive pathways and continuous conductive networks is inadequate for either processing or actual usage in existing technologies. In this work, spherical copper nanoparticles (S-CuNPs) and urchin-inspired fractal-growth CuNPs (U-CuNPs), thermally conductive metal fillers induced by ionic liquids, were fabricated successfully through the electrochemical deposition method. Compared to S-CuNPs, the U-CuNPs shows larger specific surface contact area, thus making it easier to build a continuous conductive pathway network in the corresponding U-CuNPs/liquid silicone rubber (LSR) thermally conductive composites. The optimal loading of CuNP fillers was determined by evaluating the rheological performance of the prepolymer and the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity performances of the composites. When the filler loading is 150 phr, the U-CuNPs/LSR produces optimal mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength and modulus), thermal conductivity (above 1000% improvement compared to pure LSR), and heating/cooling efficiency. The enhanced thermal conductivity of U-CuNPs/LSR was also confirmed through the finite element analysis (FEA) overall temperature distribution, indicating that U-CuNPs with larger specific surface contact areas exhibit more advantages in forming a continuous network in composites than S-CuNPs, making U-CuNPs/LSR a promising and competitive alternative to traditional flexible thermally interface materials.

Combined effects of pores and cracks on the effective thermal conductivity of materials: a numerical study

Porous solids are commonplace in engineering structures and in nature. Material properties are inevitably affected by the internal inhomogeneity. The effective thermal conductivity of porous materials has been and remains to be a subject of extensive research. Less attention has been devoted to thermal conductivity impacted by internal cracks. This study is devoted to theoretical analyses of the combined effects of pores and cracks on the effective thermal conductivity. Systematic numerical simulations using the finite element method are performed based on two-dimensional models, with periodic distributions of internal pores and cracks. The parametric investigations seek to address how individual geometric layout can influence the overall thermal conduction behavior. In addition to circular pores and isolated cracks, angular pores with cracks extending from their sharp corners are also considered. It is found that both isolated cracks and cracks connected to existing pores can significantly reduce the effective thermal conductivity in porous materials. Since it is much easier to microscopically detect internal pores than thin cracks, care should be taken in using the apparent porosity from microscopic images and density measurements to estimate the overall thermal conductivity. Quantitative analyses of the detailed geometric effects are reported in this paper.

Self-similar flow behind a shock wave in a gas under the effect of viscosity, heat conduction, and variable ambient density

Self-similar solutions have been investigated to describe the propagation of planar shock waves in a non-ideal gas generated by a piston under viscous stress and heat flux. The equation of state for non-ideal gas incorporates the correction in pressure and volume of the gas. The piston position and ambient density vary exponentially with time. Newton’s law of viscosity is used for the viscous stress and Fourier’s law of heat conduction is taken for heat flux. The viscosity coefficient is taken as constant whereas the thermal conductivity coefficient varies with temperature and density following the power law. The shock jump conditions have been derived for the viscous non-ideal gas using integral form of conservation laws. The shock Reynolds number Re s has been introduced to study the effect of viscosity on shock propagation in non-ideal gas. It is found that similarity solution exists only in an ideal gas under the condition that the ambient density exponent is equal to twice the shock position exponent. This study shows that shock Reynolds number Re s and heat conduction parameter Γ c can be used to control the variation of the flow variables and piston position significantly. The shock strength decreases with increase in the value of shock Reynolds number Re s but is independent of the heat conduction parameter Γ c . The pressure, density, and adiabatic compressibility have significant deviations from high to low viscous flow of ideal gas but the velocity and heat flux undergo negligible change. The results do not support the claim of negligible effect of viscosity in earlier studies and establish the impact of viscosity and heat flux on shock propagation in an ideal gas.

REFINING THE EMPIRICAL MODEL OF THE HEAT TRANSFER BOUNDARY CONDITIONS OF THE PISTON OF A HIGH-SPEED DIESEL ENGINE

The level of temperature of ICE pistons is a factor that greatly affects their reliability. Therefore, the need to simulate the temperature state of pistons with sufficient accuracy and minimal allocation of resources and time exists in research and during design. Primary approaches for determining the boundary conditions of the problem of thermal conduction of the piston on the basis of criterion equations, high-level mathematical models, and empirical models are considered. The latter ones have become widespread by virtue of simplicity and ease of use in practice; their usability is limited to a certain set of operating modes of one engine or a few ones of a similar design. On the basis of data from four series of experimental tests for a well-studied diesel engine 4ChN12/14 the existing empirical models of boundary conditions, suitable for identifying the temperature state of the piston only within the respective separate series separately, are refined in the paper. Processing of the data set on the measured temperatures in the control zones of the piston was performed, and linear function approximations were found that satisfactorily describe the effect of diesel power on the specified temperatures. The model of boundary conditions for a set of eighteen separate regions on the surfaces of the piston was proposed, which takes into account the dependence of the piston temperature state on the brake power of the ICE, the crank angle of the start of fuel injection, and the conditions of cooling the piston with oil. The influence of the heat insulation layer on the piston crown surface on the heat transfer was accounted for by introducing an additional thermal resistance term into the boundary condition equations. The model made obtaining the temperature field of the piston possible in simulation that is consistent with the results of all series of experiments in the control zones of the piston periphery, the edge of the combustion chamber, the vicinity of the groove of the first piston ring, the cooled surface opposite to the combustion chamber, and the piston skirt. The importance of a gradual change in the temperature of the oil and coolant during the transition of the internal combustion engine from one mode of operation to another regarding the temperature state of the piston is demonstrated. Taking the temperatures of oil from previous modes of operation into account is recommended during the analysis of engine transient processes.

Thermophysical Properties of (Y1-xErx)TaO4 Ceramics

A series of (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics (x=0/6, 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6) were prepared using powders synthesized by the reverse co-precipitation technique. Investigations were conducted into the phase compositions, microstructure, and thermophysical characteristics. In contrast to yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics, (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics demonstrate reduced thermal conductivity and Young's modulus, along with greater coefficient of thermal expansions (CTEs). The impact of Er and Y elements on separation interferes with the parabolic relationship between thermal conduction and the composition of (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics, modifying their thermal diffusion and conductivity patterns. Furthermore, the performance of (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics was optimized by adjusting the ratio of Er/Y, from which (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics exhibited lower thermal conductivity (1.38∼1.72 W·m-1·K-1 @ 800 °C), higher CTEs (9.24×10-6∼10.9×10-6 K-1 @ 1000 °C) and more excellent mechanical properties comparable to YSZ. Herein, (Y1-xErx)TaO4 ceramics show great potential for thermal barrier coating applications.