Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Heat Transfer In Nanoscale Liquid Films

Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of nano-scale flows typically utilize fixed lattice crystal interactions between the fluid and stationary wall molecules. This approach cannot properly model thermal interactions at the wall-fluid interface. In order to properly simulate the flow and heat transfer in nano-scale channels, an interactive thermal wall model is developed. Using this model, the Fourier?s law of heat conduction is verified in a 3.24 nm height channel, where linear temperature profiles with constant thermal conductivity is obtained. The thermal conductivity is verified using the predictions of Green-Kubo theory. MD simulations at different wall wettability ( ??f /? ) and crystal bonding stiffness values (K) have shown temperature jumps at the liquid/solid interface, corresponding to the well known Kapitza resistance. Using systematic studies, the thermal resistance length at the interface is characterized as a function of the surface wettability, thermal oscillation frequency, wall temperature and thermal gradient. An empirical model for the thermal resistance length, which could be used as the jump-coefficient of a Navier boundary condition, is developed. Temperature distributions in the nano-channels are predicted using analytical solution of the continuum heat conduction equation subjected to the new temperature jump condition, and validated using the MD results. Momentum and heat transfer in shear driven nanochannel flows are also investigated. Work done by the viscous stresses heats the fluid, which is dissipated through the channel walls, maintained at isothermal conditions. Spatial variations in the fluid density, kinematic viscosity, shear- and energy dissipation rates are presented. The energy dissipation rate is almost a constant for ??f /? < 0.6, which results in parabolic temperature profiles in the domain with temperature jumps due to the Kapitza resistance at the liquid/solid interfaces. Using the energy dissipation rates predicted by MD simulations and the continuum energy equation subjected to the temperature jump boundary conditions developed in this study, the analytical solutions are obtained for the temperature profiles, which agree well with the MD results.