This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
A persistent need exists to develop novel materials that may advance the thermal management of various engineering devices such as microelectronics circuitry. This proposal deals with the development of a lightweight, high thermal conductivity rigid porous material that is formed of a network of fused carbon nanotubes. The resulting material could be attached to various heat generating devices, and liquid coolants could be passed through the porous matrix, resulting in significantly enhanced cooling of the device.
Intellectual Merit: The proposed material is to be fabricated of fused carbon nanotubes. Measurements of the thermal conductivity and permeability of the rigid matrix will be made to determine how these properties vary with the structure of the matrix. Models will be developed to predict the phonon transfer within the carbon nanotube network, and how the transfer is affected by the molecules of the fluid that flows through the matrix. Finally, models will be developed to predict the permeability of the matrix, and its effectiveness in serving as a thermal management material. A multidisciplinary team of investigators with backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering will be involved in the fabrication, experimentation, and modeling of the multiscale thermal transport phenomena. Broader Impact: The proposed research is expected to lead to new, lightweight materials for thermal management of a wide range of devices. A lecture series on nanoscale materials is proposed for inclusion in the undergraduate curriculum. The lectures will be dovetailed with current classes, and an assessment strategy will determine the efficacy of the effort. In Pittsburgh, a program to excite middle school girls about engineering, involving hands on workshops for the students is proposed. Girls from underrepresented groups are targeted. A similar workshop, involving the Society of Women Engineers is proposed for Ann Arbor.
