Thermal Management Technologies Research Articles

A Study of Advancing Ultralow-Power 3D Integrated Circuits with TEI-LP Technology and AI-Enhanced PID Autotuning

The 3D integrated circuit (3D-IC) is garnering significant attention from academia and industry as a key technology leading the post-Moore era, offering new levels of efficiency, power, performance, and form-factor advantages to the semiconductor industry. However, thermal management in 3D-ICs presents a critical challenge that must be overcome to ensure prosperity for this technology. Unlike traditional thermal management solutions that perceive heat generation in 3D-ICs negatively and aim to eliminate it, this paper proposes, for the first time, a thermal management method that positively utilizes heat to achieve low-power operation in 3D-ICs. This approach is based on a novel discovery that circuits can reduce power consumption at higher temperatures by leveraging the temperature effect inversion (TEI) phenomenon in ultralow-voltage (ULV) operating circuits, a characteristic of low-power techniques (TEI-LP techniques). Along with a detailed explanation of this discovery, this paper introduces new thermal management technologies for practical application in 3D-ICs. Furthermore, to achieve optimal energy efficiency with the proposed technology, we develop a temperature controller essential for this purpose. The developed controller is a deep learning-based PID autotuner. This paper proves the theoretical validity of the AI control algorithm designed for this purpose and demonstrates the functional correctness and power-saving effectiveness of the developed controller through intensively conducted simulations.

A Flexible Electrochromic Device based on PEDOT: PSS Working in Visible and Infrared Band

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), a novel conducting polymer, has gained significant attention in the realm of electrochromism. In this study, we present the fabrication of a simple double-layer device utilizing PEDOT:PSS, which successfully achieves precise control of emissivity in the infrared band. Through comprehensive experimentation, we observe an impressive regulation amplitude of 0.25 and a temperature difference of 10°C, relative to a background temperature of 100°C. Additionally, the device exhibits remarkable flexibility compared to other existing devices. These findings demonstrate the potential of PEDOT:PSS-based double-layer devices as versatile tools for infrared emissivity modulation, holding promise for diverse applications in fields such as thermal management and energy-efficient technologies.

Green conversion of delignified sorghum straw and polyethylene glycol into form-stable phase change materials with promising solar energy capture, transition, and storage capabilities

Phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted considerable attention as a thermal energy management technology for thermal storage. However, achieving high energy-storing abilities, low leakage rates, and solar absorption abilities simultaneously in PCMs remains greatly challenging. This research proposed a green strategy for preparing sorghum straw-based PCMs. By facile delignification and solvothermal process, delignified sorghum straw (DSS) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) derived from removal lignin are prepared. The obtained PEG@CQDs/DSS possessed considerable reusable stabilities, excellent photo-thermal conversion properties, and thermal energy management capacities due to the delicate micropores and intrinsic noncovalent interactions among components. Especially, the PEG@CQDs-7.5/DSS exhibited superior solar-thermal conversion capabilities (with conducive photo-thermal conversion efficiency ~90.84%), and kept stable after 100 cycles of heating and cooling, in which the melting enthalpy value is ~168.1 J/g (enthalpy efficiency of ~91.11%). In conclusion, the synthesized PCMs showed potential for application in energy-saving and building thermal management.

Polyethylene glycol-impregnated carbon quantum dots-phenolic phase change composites for highly efficient thermal energy storage

The development of stable smart thermal energy storage systems is the key to reaching breakthroughs in thermal management technologies based on phase change composites (PCC). In this study, high-performance PCC is developed by impregnating polyethylene glycol (PEG), as a polymeric phase change material (PCM), into the porous structure of modified resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) hydrogels. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and 3-chlorophenol are introduced into the RF structure during the synthesis process to increase energy storage properties and impregnation efficiency. A sol-gel polymerization method is used to synthesize the hydrogels, followed by the impregnation of liquid PEG600 into the hydrogel structure. The low PEG leakage of optimal PCC consisting of 3-chlorophenol and 0.2 wt% CQDs is related to the presence of surface functional groups in the structure of the modified RF hydrogels resulting in the formation of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic forces. The melting enthalpy of the optimal PCC is 67 % higher than the unmodified RF-based PCC, while the encapsulation efficiency is 92.5 %. Our results confirm that thermal energy storage performance can be improved by 40 % through the addition of CQDs and 3-chlorophenol into the polymeric material. These PCC systems show long-term stability in terms of storage/release cycles and have the potential to be used as thermal regulator systems.

Research on performance test and evaluation of thermal management system of power battery module under harsh conditions

Under harsh conditions, the battery module (BM) used for Ev’s power system has issues of local overheating, continuous high temperature, and spontaneous combustion causing thermal accidents. This problem is directly related to the safety of life and property of drivers and passengers. What’s more, it also seriously restricts the high-quality development and promotion of Evs. To solve the limitations and drawbacks of the BM. this paper designs the thermal management structure with TiO2 nanofluids closed loop pulsating heat pipe (TiO2-CLPHP) as the key component and constructs the thermal management system with TiO2-CLPHP (TiO2-CLPHP TMS). On the basis, the temperature optimal thermal management strategy (TOS) and energy consumption optimal thermal management strategy (ECOS) is proposed. To investigate the performance response of TiO2-CLPHP TMS, the performance test of TiO2-CLPHP TMS is carried out. The results show that in terms of thermal management performance, the TiO2-CLPHP TMS with TOS and ECOS (TOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS, ECOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS) can effectively suppress the highest temperature, temperature rise and improve temperature uniformity of the PM. Of these, the minimum improvement rates of TOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS can reach 29.41%, 78.37%, 65.88%, 58.82%, and 64.95%. The minimum improvement rates of ECOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS can reach 27.24%, 72.65%, 64.71%, 55.88%, and 68.04%, respectively. In terms of the thermal management economy, compared with TOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS, ECOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS has lower energy consumption. The efficiency values of the ECOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS are not less than 87.72%. It can be concluded that the proposed TiO2-CLPHP TMS has excellent thermal management performance. The ECOS-TiO2-CLPHP TMS can maximize the dual requirements of the thermal management performance and thermal management economy. This study innovatively proposed a thermal management method for nanofluids PHP used in BM. Compared with previous studies, the proposed TiO2-CLPHP TMS reduced the temperature difference from the traditional 5.00 °C to less than 3.40 °C, greatly improving the temperature uniformity of the BM. The completion of this research provides a new idea of battery thermal management based on metal oxide nanofluids PHP, and the constructed performance evaluation method provides a referral scheme for the performance test and evaluation of thermal management technology.

A novel heat transfer characterization method for a thermal management scheme of 3D-IC chips

A novel surface-modified silicon-based thermal management technology has been proposed for 3D IC architecture in this study. 2 × 2 cm2 double sides polished silicon chips’ surface with micro-fin (MF) and micro-pin fin (MPF) structures have been achieved by applying silicon microfabrication technology of deep reactive ion etching, which is applicable to the interlayer of 3D IC packaging technology. By integrating a mini wind tunnel with Raman spectrometer, the transient thermal property measurement system is originally designed to evaluate the cooling capability of the surface-modified silicon interlayer. Finite Element Analysis was involved to confirm this view by taking fluid dynamics and heat transfer into account. The sample with 100 × 100 µm2 MPF structure expresses the appropriate exponential decay time constant τ (with unit of 1), which is 4.71 and 8.53 under cooling and heating measurement conditions, respectively. This also proved that the combination of Raman thermometry with forced gas flow could be a relevant measurement tool for transient thermal property.

Advancing Electric Flight through Innovative Materials in Aerospace Propulsion Systems

The advent of electric aircraft heralds a transformative era in aviation, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional aircraft that significantly contribute to carbon emissions. This paper discusses the application of advanced materials in overcoming the technical hurdles associated with electric propulsion systems, focusing on their application in airframe construction, electrical conductors, thermal management, and battery technology to enhance the performance and sustainability of electric aircraft. Advanced composites like carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) are explored for their potential to reduce aircraft weight and improve mechanical properties. The paper also addresses the challenges of thermal management in electric propulsion systems, highlighting the use of phase change materials (PCMs) and advanced ceramics for efficient heat dissipation. Furthermore, the exploration of high-energy-density cathode materials, innovative anode materials, and solid-state electrolytes is discussed in the context of developing lightweight, high-capacity batteries for electric aircraft. Despite the promising advancements in material science and the potential benefits of electric aviation, the paper acknowledges the existing challenges, including the high cost of advanced materials, the need for improved energy storage solutions, and the environmental impact of material production.

Origami Metamaterials Enable Low-Stress-Driven Giant Elastocaloric Effect.

Elastocaloric materials, capable of achieving reversible thermal changes in response to a uniaxial stress, have attracted considerable attention for applications in advanced thermal management technologies, owing to their environmental friendliness and economic benefits. However, most elastocaloric materials operating on the basis of first/second-order phase transition often exhibit a limited caloric response, field hysteresis, and restricted working temperature ranges. This study resorts to origami engineering for realizing multifunctional metamaterials with exceptional elastocaloric effects at both nano (exemplified by computational simulations for graphene) and meso (demonstrated by experimentation on thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers) scales. The findings uncover that the graphene origami exhibits low-stress-driven reversible and giant elastocaloric effects without a hysteresis loss and with a high elastocaloric strength. These effects are achieved across a wide working temperature range (100-600 K) and are tailorable by fine-tuning the topological parameters and configurational status of the origami metamaterials. We demonstrate the scalability of the origami design strategy for magnifying the elastocaloric effect by the 3D printing of a mesoscale origami-inspired thermoplastic polyurethane metastructure that showcases enhanced elastocaloric performance at room temperature. This study presents the potential for the realization of architected elastocaloric materials through surface functionalization and origami engineering. The findings impart exciting prospects of elastocaloric origami metamaterials as the next generation of multiscale and sustainable thermal management technologies.

Multi-objective optimization of hollow fiber membrane-based water cooler for enhanced cooling performance and energy efficiency

Water-mediated evaporative cooling systems often suffer from cross-contamination, droplet carryover, and high maintenance costs. This study proposes a novel liquid cooling solution, the hollow fiber membrane-based water cooler (HFMWC), to address these issues. The primary innovation of this study lies in the optimization of key design parameters of the countercurrent HFMWC, aligning them with stringent engineering requirements. Two standard working conditions for wet cooling towers are considered. Numerical modeling and response surface methodology are used to develop regression models correlating six key parameters (water velocity, air/water ratio, fiber length, fiber inner diameter, membrane thickness, and packing fraction) with two performance evaluation indexes (outlet water temperature and consumptive electric power ratio). A genetic algorithm-based multi-objective optimization is employed to obtain Pareto fronts, representing optimal trade-offs between the two indexes. Using the ideal point method, relative optimal solutions are identified, resulting in water temperature drops of 7.56 °C and 13.07 °C, with consumptive electric power ratios of 0.0128 kW h/m3 and 0.0138 kW h/m3 for conditions Ⅰ and Ⅱ, respectively. Most solutions achieve the highest energy efficiency rating while satisfying the design temperature difference. The average deviations between optimized and simulated data for the two indexes are 0.88 % and 3.88 %, demonstrating the reliability of the derived optimal solutions for engineering design. These findings not only offer a promising way to overcome the limitations of traditional evaporative cooling systems, but also contribute to the broader field of sustainable and efficient thermal management technologies.

A Review of Cooling Technologies in Lithium-Ion Power Battery Thermal Management Systems for New Energy Vehicles

The power battery is an important component of new energy vehicles, and thermal safety is the key issue in its development. During charging and discharging, how to enhance the rapid and uniform heat dissipation of power batteries has become a hotspot. This paper briefly introduces the heat generation mechanism and models, and emphatically summarizes the main principle, research focuses, and development trends of cooling technologies in the thermal management of power batteries in new energy vehicles in the past few years. Currently, the commonly used models for battery heat generation are the electrochemical-thermal model and the electrical-thermal model. Scholars have conducted more research based on multidimensional electrochemical-thermal/electrical-thermal models because taking the actual characteristics of the battery into account can provide a more comprehensive and systematic description. Among various cooling technologies, the air-cooling system boasts the most economical manufacturing costs and a compact, reliable structure. The heat transfer coefficient of the liquid-cooling system is very high, while the temperature remains uniform in the PCMs cooling system during the material phase transition process. Against the background of increasing energy density in future batteries, immersion liquid phase change cooling technology has great development prospects, but it needs to overcome limitations such as high cost and heavy weight. Therefore, the current lithium-ion battery thermal management technology that combines multiple cooling systems is the main development direction. Suitable cooling methods can be selected and combined based on the advantages and disadvantages of different cooling technologies to meet the thermal management needs of different users.

Experimental and numerical study on thermofluidic characteristics of microchannel heat sinks with various micro pin-fin arrays arrangement patterns

Targeting at improving the comprehensive performance of microchannel heat sink, microchannel heat sinks integrated with various arrangements of micro pin-fins arrays are proposed in this paper. The thermofluidic characteristics and heat transfer enhancement mechanism of different pin-fins arrangement patterns is investigated by experimental test and numerical simulations. It is found that the partially uniform/gradient stagger pin-fins arrangement patterns present largest pressure drop with moderate heat dissipation performance, while the patterns with overall pin-fins distribution demonstrate superior heat transfer performance than all partial pin-fins distribution modes. Thus, overall gradient stagger pin-fins arrangement with moderate pressure drop yields optimal heat transfer capacity, achieving 4.8∼6.1 times enhancement than smooth channel. Furthermore, the partially uniform/gradient stagger pin-fins arrangement patterns indicate best temperature uniformity and thermal resistance with 26.2 K and 47.6% reduction than smooth channel at 80 ml/min, 100 W/cm2, respectively. The temperature trend in the longitudinal direction shows peaks and troughs for arrangements with partial pin fins distribution, while patterns of gradient pin fins distribution exhibit wavy curves of temperature rise. Additionally, the performance evaluation plot is adopted to describe the comprehensive performance of heat sinks with different pin fins patterns. It is observed that the overall gradient stagger pin-fins arrangement shows optimal comprehensive performance among all patterns, achieving heat transfer enhancement ratio greater than 4 in contrast with smooth channel. Finally, the correlations of Nusselt number and apparent friction factor for patterns are established. This study provides feasible insights on the performance improvement of microscale liquid cooling technologies for thermal management of electronic devices.

A flexible electrochromic device with variable infrared emissivity based on W18O49 nanowire cathode and MXene infrared transparent conducting electrode

Electrochromism with tunable infrared (IR) responses has emerged as an intriguing technology for adaptive IR camouflage and radiative thermal management. Its current development is however hindered by low IR emissivity modulation and unsatisfactory cycle life. Herein, a flexible IR electrochromic device with large IR emissivity modulation and high stability is fabricated by combining an oxygen-deficient W18O49 nanowire cathode and a MXene-based IR transparent conducting electrode. The nanowire structure and abundant oxygen vacancies of W18O49 works in synergy with the high IR transparence of the MXene conducing electrode, to provide the IR emissivity to vary from 0.8 to 0.4 within 3–5 μm (△ε = 0.4), and from 0.77 to 0.3 within 8–14 μm (△ε = 0.47). A long cycle life of more than 2000 cycles was also verified, which could be attributed to the high stability of W18O49 and no material phase transition during cycling. This work demonstrates a viable pathway to design and build high performance flexible IR electrochromic devices for adaptive thermal management.

Switchable radiative cooling and solar heating for sustainable thermal management

Abstract Radiative thermal management technologies that utilize thermal radiation from nano/microstructure for cooling and heating have gained significant attention in sustainable energy research. Passive radiative cooling and solar heating operate continuously, which may lead to additional heating or cooling energy consumption due to undesired cooling or heating during cold nighttime/winters or hot daytime/summers. To overcome the limitation, recent studies have focused on developing radiative thermal management technologies that can toggle radiative cooling on and off or possess switchable dual cooling and heating modes to realize sustainable and efficient thermal management. This review will explore the fundamental concepts of radiative thermal management and its switching mechanisms, utilizing novel systems composed of various materials and nano/microstructures. Additionally, we will delve into the potential future research directions in radiative thermal management technologies.

Nanofluids in microchannel heat sinks for efficient flow cooling of power electronic devices

Nanofluids hold significant potential in the field of heat transfer intensification. The objective of this paper is to investigate the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of Ag, SiO2, and Al2O3 nanofluids in rectangular (MC-R), trapezoidal (MC-T), and omega-shaped (MC-O) microchannel heat sinks (MCHSs) through conjugate numerical simulations under a constant heat flux of 100 W/cm2. Water was used as the base fluid, and nanoparticle volume fraction ranged from 0 to 6 %. The average heat transfer coefficient (HTC), Nusselt number, thermal resistance, pressure drop, and pump power as a function of Reynolds number are studied for different nanofluids and cross-sectional shapes in microchannels. The overall performance is also characterized by thermal performance factor, coefficient of performance (COP), and entropy generation analysis. The simulation results show that adding Al2O3 nanoparticles with a volume fraction of 6 % in MC-R at a Reynolds number of 500 results in a substantial 12.3 % increase in the average HTC and an approximately 8 % reduction in total thermal resistance compared to pure water. For the same nanofluid, MC-O exhibits the highest convective HTC, the highest Nusselt number, and the lowest maximum heat sink temperature. The total entropy generation in the MCHSs decreases obviously with increasing Reynolds number. MC-O has the smallest total entropy generation, meaning it has the optimal flow and heat transfer irreversibility. These findings can not only provide valuable guidance for the rational design of MCHSs but also hold significant implications for the effective cooling of microelectronic components via nanofluid-based thermal management technology.

Design and Optimization of Heat Sinks for the Liquid Cooling of Electronics with Multiple Heat Sources: A Literature Review

This paper presents a detailed literature review on the thermal management issue faced by electronic devices, particularly concerning uneven heating and overheating problems. Special focus is given to the design and structural optimization of heat sinks for efficient single-phase liquid cooling. Firstly, the paper highlights the common presence and detrimental consequences of electronics overheating resulting from multiple heat sources, supported by various illustrative examples. Subsequently, the emphasis is placed on single-phase liquid cooling as one of the effective thermal management technologies for power electronics, as well as on the enhancement of heat transfer in micro/mini channel heat sinks. Various studies on the design and structural optimization of heat sinks are then analyzed and categorized into five main areas: (1) optimization of channel cross-section shape, (2) optimization of channel flow passage, (3) flow distribution optimization for parallel straight channel heat sinks, (4) optimization of pin-fin shape and arrangement, and (5) topology optimization of global flow configuration. After presenting a broad and complete overview of the state of the art, the paper concludes with a critical analysis of the methods and results from the literature and highlights the research perspectives and challenges in the field. It is shown that the issue of uneven and overheating caused by multiple heat sources, which is commonly observed in modern electronics, has received less attention in the literature compared to uniform or single-peak heating. While several design and structural optimization techniques have been implemented to enhance the cooling performance of heat sinks, topology optimization has experienced significant advancements in recent years and appears to be the most promising technology due to its highest degree of freedom to treat the uneven heating problem. This paper can serve as an essential reference contributing to the development of liquid-cooling heat sinks for efficient thermal management of electronics.

Experimental study of flow boiling characteristics of open microchannels with elliptical cavities and elliptical ribs

Open microchannel heat sinks (O-MCHS) stand out among many thermal management technologies due to their extra open gaps that reduce pressure drop and mitigate flow instability. Recently, there has been a growing trend of incorporating microstructures onto microchannels in order to enhance the hydrothermal performance of heat sinks. However, the heat transfer characteristics and bubble behavior of O-MCHS with microstructures are still rarely studied. In this study, open copper-based microchannel heat sinks with elliptical cavities and elliptical central ribs (O-EC-ECR) and elliptical cavities and elliptical side ribs (O-EC-ESR) were designed and manufactured; the flow patterns, heat transfer performance and pressure drop were systematically studied and compared with those of rectangular open microchannel heat sink (R O-MCHS). The working fluid was degassed DI water and the experiments were performed with the inlet subcooling of 75 ℃ at efficient heat fluxes of 668.00–2416.16 kW/m2 under various mass fluxes ranging from 421 to 801 kg/m2·s. The experimental results demonstrated that the O-EC-ECR exhibited the best two-phase heat transfer performance among three structures at all mass fluxes. The average two-phase heat transfer coefficient of O-EC-ECR was increased by 12.2 % compared to R O-MCHS at the mass flux of 801 kg/m2·s. The average wall temperature of O-EC-ECR was found to be 10.1 ℃ lower than that of R-O-MCHS and 6.7 ℃ lower than that of O-EC-ESR at the mass flux of 801 kg/m2·s. This should be attributed to the dramatically increased convective heat transfer area as well as the separating and breaking effect of the central ribs on the bubbles, which was manifested by the increase in heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF). In addition, the central ribs improved the flow boiling stability by effectively suppressing the generation of confined bubbles and the formation of slugs. The arrangement of the side ribs and cavities made bubbles easier to condense, which facilitated the mixing of hot and cold fluid. At low to medium mass fluxes, the O-EC-ESR only showed superior heat transfer performance during the bubbly flow dominated nucleate boiling regime. Whereas high mass flux can improve the boiling heat transfer performance; the average heat transfer coefficient of O-EC-ESR was increased by 6.1 % compared to R O-MCHS. The average pressure drop of O-EC-ESR was decreased by 21.8 % compared to R O-MCHS and 25.6 % compared to O-EC-ECR at the mass flux of 801 kg/m2·s.

Stagnation Point Flow of CoF e 2 O 4 / Ti O 2 - H 2 O -Casson Nanofluid past a Slippery Stretching/Shrinking Cylindrical Surface in

Mounting temperatures in electronic devices during operation may damage sensitive internal components if too much thermal energy accumulates inside the system. The advent of an innovative ultrahigh-performance thermal management technology known as nanofluid has provided a veritable platform to improve the system performance and reliability by removing the high heat flux generated in the engineering and industrial devices. This paper examines the combined effects of Darcy–Forchheimer porous medium-resistant heating and viscous dissipation on stagnation point flow of a Casson nanofluid ( CoF e 2 O 4 - H 2 O and Ti O 2 - H 2 O ) towards a convectively heated slippery stretching/shrinking cylindrical surface in a porous medium. The governing nonlinear model equations are obtained, analysed, and tackled numerically via the shooting technique with the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg integration scheme. A unique solution is obtained when the surface is stretching. For shrinking cylindrical surface, the model exhibits nonunique dual solutions for a defined range of parameter values, and a temporal stability analysis is conducted to ascertain the stable and physically achievable solution. The effects of emerging thermophysical parameters on the overall flow structure and thermal management such as velocity and temperature profiles, skin friction, and Nusselt number are quantitatively discussed through graphs and in tabular form. It is found that the thermal performance heat transfer enhancement capability of Ti O 2 - H 2 O is higher than that of CoF e 2 O 4 - H 2 O . Moreover, the nanofluid thermal performance is enhanced with nanoparticles volume fraction, Casson nanofluid parameter, and Biot number but lessened with porous medium permeability.

Coupling dynamic thermal analysis and surface modification to enhance heat dissipation of R410A spray cooling for high-power electronics

With high critical heat flux (CHF) and heat transfer coefficient (HTC), spray cooling is considered as one of the most promising thermal management technologies for high-power electronic devices. To increase its cooling performance, a closed-loop experimental rig was constructed to study the effects of spray and system parameters on heat transfer enhancement by R410A. The best cooling performance can be achieved under optimal subcooling degree of 17 °C and nozzle diameter of 0.56 mm. When the compressor frequency reaches the upper limit of 90 Hz, maximum CHF and HTC on flat surface are 301.6 W/cm2 and 91.7 kW/(m2·K). To further improve CHF, mechanism of heat transfer enhancement by square pin finned surface was revealed in terms of droplet splashing. With fin width of 0.5 mm and height of 3 mm, CHF as high as 522.1 W/cm2 and peak HTC of 407.0 kW/(m2·K) are reached, while maintaining the cooling surface temperature lower than 55.6 °C. Compared to flat surface, CHF and HTC are enhanced by around 73.4% and 3.5 times, respectively. Based on the experimental data, CHF correlation applicable to pin finned surface was obtained with precision of ±12.4% by introducing fin height and width.

Dirac semimetal-assisted near-field radiative thermal rectifier and thermostat based on phase transition of vanadium dioxide.

The near-field thermal radiation has broad application prospects in micro-nano-scale thermal management technology. In this paper, we report the Dirac semimetal-assisted (AlCuFe quasicrystal) near-field radiative thermal rectifier (DSTR) and thermostat (DST), respectively. The DSTR is made of a Dirac semimetal-covered vanadium dioxide (VO2) plate and silicon dioxide (SiO2) plate separated by a vacuum gap. The left and right sides of DST are consisted of the SiO2 covered with Dirac semimetal, and the intermediate plate is the VO2. The strong coupling of the surface electromagnetic modes between the Dirac semimetal, SiO2, and insulating VO2 leads to enhance near-field radiative transfer. In the DSTR, the net radiative heat flux of VO2 in the insulating state is much larger than that in metallic state. When the vacuum gap distance d=100 nm, Fermi level EF=0.20 eV, and film thickness t=12 nm, the global rectification factor of DSTR is 3.5, which is 50% higher than that of structure without Dirac semimetal. In the DST, the equilibrium temperature of the VO2 can be controlled accurately to achieve the switching between the metallic and insulating state of VO2. When the vacuum gap distance d=60 nm, intermediate plate thickness δ=30 nm, and film thickness t=2 nm, with the modulation of Fermi level between 0.05-0.15 eV, the equilibrium temperature of VO2 can be controlled between 325-371 K. In brief, when the crystalline state of VO2 changes between the insulating and metallic state with temperature, the active regulation of near-field thermal radiation can be realized in both two-body and three-body parallel plate structure. This work will pave a way to further improve performance of near-field radiative thermal management and modulation.

Dynamic thermal environment management technologies for data center: A review

The energy demand of the data center (DC) industry has accounted for 2% of the total global energy consumption, and its operating power consumption has reached 50 times that of the commercial buildings. Therefore, improving the thermal environment performance to reduce the energy cost is major trend to realize the energy savings of DC. It has become a positive measure to integrate smart technologies to improve the operating efficiency of HVAC systems, especially due to the development of informatization and intelligence. This study provides detailed overview of the dynamic thermal environment management technologies of the DCs. The requirements of thermal environment in DCs were reviewed by different levels, which are the basis of the design and operation. Accordingly, various dynamic prediction technologies were presented concerning the theoretical mechanics, the computation efficiency and the applicable circumstances. The performance of the PID, the model predictive control and the reinforcement learning in the dynamic thermal environment control of DC were analyzed. Moreover, the evaluation systems based on cooling capacity, exergy analysis and entransy analysis were introduced respectively to measure the performance of the thermal environment. By investigating the knowledge related to the “requirement, prediction, control, and evaluation” of the DC dynamic thermal environment, this study aims to provide reference and guidance for energy conservation, airflow organization and smart operation of DCs.