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HighlightsBottlenecks in the field of thermally conductive polymer composites are raised, and corresponding reasons are analysed.Three possible directions for breaking through such bottlenecks are put forward, and current advances in these three directions are illustrated.Future development trends and demands are foreseen to help the development of thermally conductive polymers and their composites.Rapid development of energy, electrical and electronic technologies has put forward higher requirements for the thermal conductivities of polymers and their composites. However, the thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) values of prepared thermally conductive polymer composites are still difficult to achieve expectations, which has become the bottleneck in the fields of thermally conductive polymer composites. Aimed at that, based on the accumulation of the previous research works by related researchers and our research group, this paper proposes three possible directions for breaking through the bottlenecks: (1) preparing and synthesizing intrinsically thermally conductive polymers, (2) reducing the interfacial thermal resistance in thermally conductive polymer composites, and (3) establishing suitable thermal conduction models and studying inner thermal conduction mechanism to guide experimental optimization. Also, the future development trends of the three above-mentioned directions are foreseen, hoping to provide certain basis and guidance for the preparation, researches and development of thermally conductive polymers and their composites.

This article intends to examine thermoelastic damping (TED) in circular cylindrical nanoshells by considering small-scale effect on both structural and thermal areas. To fulfill this aim, governing equations are extracted with the aid of nonlocal elasticity theory and dual-phase-lag (DPL) heat conduction model. Circular cylindrical shell is also modeled on the basis of Donnell–Mushtari–Vlasov (DMV) equations for thin shells. By inserting asymmetric simple harmonic oscillations of nanoshell into motion, compatibility and heat conduction equations, the size-dependent thermoelastic frequency equation is obtained. By solving this equation and deriving the frequency of nanoshell affected by thermoelastic coupling, the value of TED can be calculated through complex frequency approach. Results of this investigation are given in two sections. First, to appraise the validity of presented formulation, a comparison study is conducted between the results of this work in special cases and those reported in the literature. Next, by providing several numerical data, a detailed parametric study is performed to highlight the profound impact of nonlocality and dual-phase-lagging on TED value in simply supported cylindrical nanoshells. The influence of some determining factors such as mode number and type of material on TED is also evaluated.

The accuracy of the classical heat conduction model, known as Fourier’s law, is highly questioned, dealing with the micro- and nanosystems and biological tissues. In other words, the results obtained from the classical equations deviate from the available experimental data. It means that the continuum heat diffusion equation is insufficient and inappropriate for modeling heat transport in these cases. There are several techniques for modeling non-Fourier heat conduction. In the present paper, we place our focus on the dual-phase-lag (DPL) approach. The DPL model, as a popular modification of Fourier’s law, has already been utilized in numerous situations, such as simulating ultrafast laser heating and heat conduction in carbon nanotubes. There has been a sharp increase in research on non-Fourier heat conduction in recent years. Several studies have been performed in the fields of thermoelasticity, thermodynamics, transistor modeling, and bioheat transport. This review presents the most recent non-Fourier bioheat conduction works and the related thermodynamics background. The various mathematical tools, modeling different thermal therapies, and relevant criticisms and disputes are discussed. Finally, the novel and other possible studies are also presented to provide a better overview, and the roadmap to the future research and challenges ahead is drawn up.

Functionally graded (FG) bi-layer structures have become one of the most promising candidates for micro-devices, which are widely used as high-efficient micro-resonators due to their excellent thermo-mechanical properties. In addition, the design of high performance micro-resonators requires sufficiently accurate analysis of their thermoelastic damping (TED). Nevertheless, the classical analysis model of TED fail on the micro-structures owing to without considering the influences of the spatial size-dependent effects related to heat transfer and elastic deformation. To address this issue, present study focuses on investigating the size-dependent TED model of FG bi-layered microbeam resonators for TED analysis by combining the nonlocal dual-phase-lag heat conduction model and the modified coupled stress theory. It is assumed that the FG bi-layered microbeam resonators consist of double FG surfaces. The corresponding governing equation are formulated, and the analytical solution is solved by complex frequency method. The obtained TED model is theoretically verified, and then, the parameter effects of the nonlocal thermal parameter, the material length scale parameter, the power-law index and the vibration modes on the TED are analyzed. This article provides a theoretical analysis model of the TED in FG bi-layered microbeam resonators, which has practical significance in the design of high quality factor devices.

The article focuses on studying the effect of variable thermal conductivity on the reflection of waves propagating through a medium. Considered solid is half space with semiconductor properties. Additionally, we have also introduced the concept of non-local thermoelasticity to develop a stress-strain relation. Using the Helmholtz decomposition principal, we have determined that three longitudinal waves and one transverse wave propagate through the medium after reflection. To account for the thermal signals generated by the elastic vibration, we have used a three-phase lag (3PL) heat conduction model. The numerical computation of the theoretical results is presented graphically for a specific medium. The study of elastic waves passing through the human body is used for diagnosis and treatment. Nature and characteristics of the materials can also be detected by evaluating the behavior of waves reflected and transmitted through them.

This research tries to render an unconventional model for thermoelastic dissipation or thermoelastic damping (TED) in circular microplates by accommodating small-scale effect into both structure and heat transfer fields. To accomplish this purpose, the modified couple stress theory (MCST) and Guyer−Krumhansl (GK) heat conduction model are utilized for providing the coupled thermoelastic equations of motion and heat conduction. The equation of heat conduction is then solved to acquire the closed-form of temperature profile in the circular microplate. By placing the extracted temperature profile in the equation of motion, the size-dependent frequency equation influenced by thermoelastic coupling is established. By conducting some mathematical manipulations, the real and imaginary parts of damped frequency are obtained. In the next stage, with the help of the description of TED based upon the complex frequency (CF) approach, an explicit single-term relation consisting of structural and thermal scale parameters is derived for making a size-dependent estimation of TED value in circular microplates. For evaluating the precision and veracity of the proposed model, the results obtained through the presented solution are compared with the ones available from the literature. In addition, by way of several examples, the pivotal role of length scale parameter of MCST and thermal nonlocal parameter of GK model in the magnitude of TED is assessed. Various numerical results are also given to place emphasis on the impact of some parameters such as boundary conditions, geometrical features, material and ambient temperature on TED value. The formulation and results provided in this study can be used as a benchmark for optimal design of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

The Mixed-Conduction Model for oxide films is used to quantitatively interpret in situ electrochemical and ex situ surface analytical results on the corrosion of AISI 316L (an internal reactor material) and Alloy 690 (a steam generator tube material) in small modular reactor primary coolant with the addition of soluble Zn. The model parameters of alloy oxidation and corrosion release are estimated with the time of exposure up to 168 h and anodic polarization potential (up to −0.25 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode) using fitting of the transfer function to experimental impedance spectra. Model parameters of individual alloy constituents are estimated by fitting of the model equations to the atomic fraction profiles of respective elements in the formed oxide obtained by Glow-Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES). Conclusions on the effect of Zn addition on film growth and cation release processes in boron-free SMR coolant are drawn and future research directions are outlined.

The current work investigates the transverse vibration of a piezothermoelastic (PTE) nanobeam in the frame of dual-phase-lag thermoelasticity theory. Closed-form analytical expression for the thermoelastic damping (TED) in terms of quality factor for a homogeneous transversely isotropic PTE beam is derived by using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and complex frequency approach. The size effect of the nanostructured beam is tackled by applying modified couple stress theory (MCST). Detailed analysis on damping of vibration owing to thermal fluctuations and electric potential in the present context under three sets of boundary conditions is attempted to investigate the influences of two-phase-lag parameters, piezoelectric parameter, thermal effect and size-dependent behaviour on energy dissipation caused by TED in PTE beam resonators. Analytical results are illustrated with the help of graphical plots on numerical findings for lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) PTE material. The investigation brings out some significant key findings and observations in view of the present heat conduction model.

The subchannel analysis method is one of the most crucial transient safety analysis methods in the thermal design of nuclear reactors. The nonuniformity of circumferential heat transfer is slight in conventional pressurized water reactor (PWR) cores, but it is significant in advanced reactors with wire-wrapped or helical fuel rods. Predicting circumferentially nonuniform heat transfer behavior can be challenging owing to the complex geometry of helical fuel rods. In this study, a general circumferentially nonuniform heat transfer fuel rod (GCNF) model is developed to predict the fuel central temperature and circumferential heat flux and wall temperature. This model incorporates a refined two-dimensional fuel conduction model and circumferential nonuniform shape factor, addressing the dual factors contributing to the circumferential nonuniformity of helical fuel rods. An empirical correlation for the nonuniform shape factor is developed based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, and it is implemented to the subchannel code. The newly developed model is applied to a helical fuel annulus and validated by comparing the prediction results with CFD data. The maximum wall temperature predicted by the code is 1.15°C lower than the value calculated through CFD. In terms of the heat flux, the maximum value at the inner corner is 22 kW lower than that obtained from the CFD prediction. The accurate prediction of circumferentially nonuniform heat transfer in helical fuel, concerning the surface heat flux and cladding temperature, addresses existing shortcomings in helical fuel subchannel analysis methods. Additionally, the capability to predict the fuel central temperature is essential for the safety analysis to determine whether fuel rods are melting. The generality of the model framework allows it to be used for the prediction of circumferential nonuniform heat transfer behavior in other types of fuel assemblies.

In the present paper, the effect of the evolution of primary water chemistry during power operation on the corrosion rate and conduction mechanism of oxide films on stainless steel is studied by in situ impedance spectroscopy at 300 °C/9 MPa during 1-week exposure periods in an autoclave connected to a recirculation loop. At the end of the exposure period, the samples were anodically polarized in a wide range of potentials to evaluate the stability of the passive oxide. Separate samples of the same steel were simultaneously exposed to the coolant and subsequently analyzed by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) in order to estimate the thickness and the in-depth composition of the formed oxides. Impedance data were quantitatively interpreted using the mixed-conduction model for oxide films (MCM) to estimate the rates of metal oxidation at the alloy/oxide interface, oxide dissolution and restructuring at the film/coolant interface, and ion transport in the protective corrosion layer.