TY  - EJOU
AU  - Sun, Chenyang 
AU  - Zhao, Wenke 
AU  - Li, Xiaoyuan 
AU  - Liu, Jian 

TI  - Heat Transfer across Nanoscale Solid-Fluid-Solid Nanogaps: Effects of Interfacial Wettability, Wall Temperature, and Channel Height
T2  - Energy Engineering

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1546-0118

AB  - Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations with an imposed temperature gradient, we systematically investigate the heat flux and interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) of solid-liquid interfaces in liquid-filled nanogaps. The effects of interfacial wettability, wall temperature, and channel height on heat transfer characteristics in the present system are comprehensively analyzed. Potential of mean force (PMF) and vibrational density of states (VDOS) at the interface are employed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of interfacial adsorption and heat transfer. Our simulations demonstrate that strongly attractive walls can significantly enhance system heat transfer, reducing the ITR to a negligible level relative to the bulk fluid thermal resistance. Furthermore, within the studied temperature range, the temperature dependence of ITR is found to be strongly correlated with interfacial wettability. Specifically, under weak wettability conditions, ITR shows no direct correlation with the absolute temperature of individual walls within the investigated interval; instead, it correlates with the arithmetic average temperature of the two walls or the average fluid temperature. Additionally, the heat flux in nanogaps exhibits a pronounced dependence on channel height when interfacial wettability is strong. These findings provide valuable theoretical insights for the design of advanced thermal management devices for high-power electronic systems.
KW  - Heat transfer; molecular dynamics simulation; heat flux; interfacial thermal resistance

DO  - 10.32604/ee.2026.086173