Title
Optimization of the rectification factor of radiative thermal diodes based on two phase-change materials
Date Issued
01 June 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Kasali S.O.
Joulain K.
Université de Poitiers
Publisher(s)
American Institute of Physics Inc.
Abstract
We have theoretically studied and optimized the thermal rectification of plane, cylindrical and spherical radiative thermal diodes operating with terminals of two phase-change materials, whose emissivities significantly change within a narrow interval of temperatures. Analytical expressions for the optimal rectification factors of these three diodes are derived and analyzed comparatively. Optimal rectification factors of 82%, 86% and 90.5% are obtained for the plane, cylindrical and spherical diodes made up with terminals of Ge2Sb2Te5 and VO2 operating with a temperature difference of 450−300=150 K, respectively. The spherical geometry thus represents a suitable shape to optimize the rectification of radiative heat currents. Furthermore, it is shown that higher rectification factors can potentially be achieved by using phase-change materials with emissivities contrasts higher than those of Ge2Sb2Te5 and VO2. We demonstrate that radiative thermal diodes based on two phase-change materials are able to operate with rectification factors higher than the corresponding ones of diodes involving a single phase-change material. The obtained results thus shed light on the phase-change materials required for optimizing the rectification factor of radiative thermal diodes with different geometries.
Volume
154
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Electroquímica Física de partículas, Campos de la Física
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85083066935
Source
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
ISSN of the container
00179310
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus