Abstract

We present an experimental demonstration of passive, dynamic thermal regulation in a solid-state system with temperature-dependent thermal emissivity switching. We achieve this effect using a multilayered device, comprised of a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film on a silicon substrate with a gold back reflector. We experimentally characterize the optical properties of the VO2 film and use the results to optimize device design. Using a calibrated, transient calorimetry experiment we directly measure the temperature fluctuations arising from a time-varying heat load. Under laboratory conditions, we find that the device regulates temperature better than a constant emissivity sample. We use the experimental results to validate our thermal model, which can be used to predict device performance under the conditions of outer space. In this limit, thermal fluctuations are halved with reference to a constant-emissivity sample.

Details

Title
Experimental demonstration of dynamic thermal regulation using vanadium dioxide thin films
Author
Morsy, Ahmed M 1 ; Barako, Michael T 2 ; Jankovic Vladan 2 ; Wheeler, Virginia D 3 ; Knight, Mark W 4 ; Papadakis, Georgia T 5 ; Sweatlock, Luke A 6 ; Hon, Philip W, C 6 ; Povinelli, Michelle L 1 

 University of Southern California, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Los Angeles, USA (GRID:grid.42505.36) (ISNI:0000 0001 2156 6853) 
 NG Next Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, USA (GRID:grid.42505.36) 
 U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA (GRID:grid.89170.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 0591 0193) 
 NG Next Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, USA (GRID:grid.89170.37) 
 NG Next Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, USA (GRID:grid.89170.37); Stanford University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford, USA (GRID:grid.168010.e) (ISNI:0000000419368956) 
 NG Next Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, USA (GRID:grid.168010.e) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2435028429
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.