Journal article
Fabrication and characterization of a thermal switch
Sensors and actuators. A. Physical., Vol.133(1), pp.55-63
2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/106768
Abstract
The development of a thermal switch based on arrays of liquid–metal micro-droplets is presented. Prototype thermal switches are assembled from a silicon substrate on which is deposited an array of 1600 30-μm liquid–metal micro-droplets. The liquid–metal micro-droplet array makes and breaks contact with a second bare silicon substrate. A gap between the two silicon substrates is filled with either air at 760
Torr, air at of 0.5
Torr or xenon at 760
Torr. Heat transfer and thermal resistance across the thermal switches are measured for “on” (make contact) and “off” (break contact) conditions using guard-heated calorimetry. The figure of merit for a thermal switch, the ratio of “off” state thermal resistance over “on” state thermal resistance,
R
off/
R
on, is 129
±
43 for a xenon-filled thermal switch that opens 100
μm and 60
±
17 for an 0.5
Torr air-filled thermal switch that opens 25
μm. These thermal resistance ratios are shown to be markedly higher than values of
R
off/
R
on for a thermal switch based on contact between polished silicon surfaces. Transient temperature measurements for the liquid–metal micro-droplet switches indicate thermal switching times of less than 100
ms. Switch lifetimes are found to exceed one-million cycles.
Metrics
12 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Fabrication and characterization of a thermal switch
- Creators
- J ChoT WiserC RichardsD BahrR Richards
- Publication Details
- Sensors and actuators. A. Physical., Vol.133(1), pp.55-63
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, School of
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Identifiers
- 99900546981601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article