How can numerical methods be used to study heat transfer at the nanoscale?
Heat transfer at the nanoscale is a fascinating and challenging topic for mechanical engineers. It involves the study of how thermal energy is transferred between atoms and molecules in nanomaterials and nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanofluids, and nanocomposites. Understanding heat transfer at the nanoscale can help design more efficient and functional devices and systems for applications such as electronics, energy, biomedicine, and nanotechnology. However, conventional methods of heat transfer analysis, such as Fourier's law and Newton's law of cooling, are not adequate to capture the complex phenomena that occur at the nanoscale, such as quantum effects, ballistic transport, surface scattering, and interfacial resistance. Therefore, numerical methods are often used to model and simulate heat transfer at the nanoscale, using mathematical and computational tools to solve the governing equations and boundary conditions.