Fundamental Evaluation of Thermal Switch Based on Ionic Wind

Abstract

A significant amount of thermal energy (mainly under 200 °C) is wasted in the world. To utilize the waste heat, efficient heat management and thermal switching is required. The basic characteristics of a thermal switch that controls the flow of heat by switching on/off the ionic wind is discussed in this study. The study was conducted through experiments and numerical simulations. A heater made of aluminum block maintained at 100 °C was used as a heat source, and the rate of heat flow to a copper plate placed over it was measured. Ionic wind was induced by corona discharge with a needle placed on the heater. The ratio of heat transfer coefficients was obtained in the range of 3–4, with an energy efficiency of around 10. The heat flux at this condition was approximately 400 W/m2. The numerical simulations indicate that the heat transfer is enhanced by ionic winds, and the results were found to corroborate well with the experimental ones.