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Contactless and spatially structured cooling by directing thermal radiation
Nicola M Kerschbaumer1, Stefan Niedermaier1, Theobald Lohmüller2
1Chair for Photonics and Optoelectronics, Department of Physics, Nano-Institute Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), Königinstraße 10, 80539, Munich, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|August 11, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed a novel method for spatially structured radiative cooling, enhancing heat transfer by 92 times. This technique enables contactless cooling and precise temperature control for laboratory applications.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Radiative cooling is gaining interest for thermal building management and energy saving.
- Contactless sample cooling using directed thermal radiation is underexplored in laboratory settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel approach for achieving spatially structured radiative cooling.
- To demonstrate contactless supercooling of a microfluidic sample.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an elliptical mirror to enhance the view factor for radiative heat transfer.
- Created confined thermal gradients with a slope of approximately 0.2 °C/mm.
- Experimentally validated the technique using a home-built microfluidic device.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 92-fold enhancement in the view factor of radiative heat transfer.
- Generated a distinct temperature pattern and confined thermal gradients.
- Successfully demonstrated contactless supercooling of hexadecane.
Conclusions:
- The developed method provides a novel way to achieve spatially structured radiative cooling.
- This technique offers precise temperature manipulation with minimal physical disturbance.
- The approach has broad applications in science and engineering for controlled cooling.
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