Solid state thermal rectifier
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsChih-Wei Chang, Arunava Majumdar, Alexander K. Zettl
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Abstract
Thermal rectifiers using linear nanostructures as core thermal conductors have been fabricated. A high mass density material is added preferentially to one end of the nanostructures to produce an axially non-uniform mass distribution. The resulting nanoscale system conducts heat asymmetrically with greatest heat flow in the direction of decreasing mass density. Thermal rectification has been demonstrated for linear nanostructures that are electrical insulators, such as boron nitride nanotubes, and for nanostructures that are conductive, such as carbon nanotubes.
Claims19
A thermal rectifier, comprising:
- a linear nanostructure comprising a first material, the linear nanostructure having a first end region and a second end region;
- and
- a second material attached to the linear nanostructure at the second end region;
- such that there is a increasing linear density gradient between the first end region and the second end region.
A thermal rectifier, comprising:
- a nanotube having a first end region and a second end region;
- and
- a material attached to the nanotube at the second end region;
- such that there is an increasing linear density gradient between the first end region and the second end region.
An array of thermal rectifiers, comprising:
- a plurality of linear nanostructures comprising a first material, the linear nanostructures each having a first end region and a second end region, the linear nanostructures arranged approximately parallel with the first end regions adjacent one another and the second end regions adjacent one another;
- and
- a second material attached to the linear nanostructures at the second end regions;
- such that there is an increasing linear density gradient between the first end regions and the second end regions.
An insulating material, comprising:
- a plurality of linear nanostructures comprising a first material, the linear nanostructures each having a first end region and a second end region, the linear nanostructures arranged approximately parallel with the first end regions adjacent one another and the second end regions adjacent one another;
- and
- a second material attached to the linear nanostructures at the second end regions;
- such that there is an increasing linear density gradient between the first end regions and the second end regions;
- and
- a third material in which the linear nanostructures are embedded, the third material being not-reactive with either the first material or the second material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.