Plant-Mimetic Functional Materials for Thermal Management and Suppression of Freezing
Abstract
Aeronautical technologies must operate under extreme dynamic and environmental conditions thatchallenge conventional systems for the management of thermal loads and make exposed surfaces prone to the accumulation of ice. Desirable solutions for addressing these challenges should involve a minimum of components and active elements, allow for multi-functional deployment within structural materials, and operate effectively over a wide range of environmental conditions. In developing new technologies to accomplish these tasks, we propose to adapt strategies observed in vascular plants. These organisms have evolved elegant, largely passive methods to manage fluxes of mass and energy to maintain hydration, provide thermal regulation, and control phase transitions to avoid damage due to cavitation and freezing. These plant strategies bring together micro- and nano-structured materials with metastable states of liquid water (both supercooled and superheated). In this project, we propose to design and fabricate synthetic devices that capture the features of plant vascular physiology. We will exploit these systems to elucidate the fundamental physico-chemistry of phase equilibrium and transport involving metastable liquids. Further, we will use these platforms and our acquired knowledge of them to develop new technologies for heat transfer and for the mitigation of icing on surfaces exposed to supercooled atmospheres. In parallel, we will investigate the physiological features that allow cold adapted trees to maintain liquid-filled cells to temperatures far below the equilibrium freezing transition. Together, these studies will provide a foundation of concepts and techniques to build high performance, multi-functional materials for current and future Air Force applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810345
Entities
People
- Abraham D Stroock
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Cornell University
- United States Air Force