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Updated: Jan 22, 2026
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Uncoupling Coriolis Force and Rotating Buoyancy Effects on Full-Field Heat Transfer Properties of a Rotating Channel
Published on: October 5, 2018
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A near-field radiative heat transfer device.
John DeSutter1, Lei Tang1,2, Mathieu Francoeur3
1Radiative Energy Transfer Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Nature Nanotechnology
|July 3, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a device for near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) that overcomes previous limitations. This breakthrough enables practical applications in energy conversion and thermal management by enhancing heat transfer beyond the blackbody limit.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
- Nanotechnology and Materials Science
Background:
- Near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) has shown potential to exceed the far-field blackbody limit.
- Previous experimental demonstrations were limited to nanoscale gaps, hindering practical engineering applications.
- A bottleneck exists in scaling NFRHT from laboratory measurements to large-scale devices for energy conversion and thermal management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a device that bridges laboratory-scale NFRHT measurements with potential engineering applications.
- To demonstrate enhanced NFRHT in a robust, scalable device suitable for practical implementation.
- To overcome the limitations of maintaining nanosized gaps in previous NFRHT experiments.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of millimetre-sized doped silicon surfaces with integrated micropillars within micrometre-deep pits.
- Utilizing micropillars to maintain vacuum gap spacings down to approximately 110 nm between emitter and receiver.
- Employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for visualization of gap spacing before NFRHT measurements.
Main Results:
- Achieved a maximum NFRHT enhancement of approximately 28.5 over the blackbody limit.
- Demonstrated NFRHT with millimetre-sized components and robust gap control down to 110 nm.
- Micropillars effectively minimized parasitic heat conduction while maintaining structural integrity.
Conclusions:
- The developed device successfully bridges the gap between laboratory NFRHT studies and practical engineering applications.
- This work paves the way for NFRHT implementation in energy conversion and thermal management systems.
- The robust design and significant enhancement open new avenues for NFRHT technology deployment.
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