Study of thermal effect based on liquid crystal nanoparticles

Introduction. Currently, the development of composite systems doped with nanoparticles and based on liquid crystal (LC) media is being actively pursued. The latter, having unique properties, can be used to improve various LC devices. For this purpose, it is very important to investigate the mechanism of change in the properties of liquid crystal systems from the size and concentration of nanoparticles. Recently, a sufficient number of methods have been applied to measure the flow of liquid or gas based on different physical principles. Information about the average mass flow rate of a liquid or gas can be obtained by a measurement method based on steady-state heat injection into the flow. The average flow velocity can be measured by electromagnetic and ultrasonic sensors, while the average volume flow rate can be measured by hydrodynamic (aerodynamic) as well as mechanical turbine methods. In heat transfer and mass transfer, convective motion in a fluid medium plays an important role in the vast majority of natural phenomena and technological processes. Many processes of convective mass transfer and heat transfer in chemical, petrochemical, construction, nuclear and other industries are carried out in heat pipes. Up to the present time the question about efficiency of heat pipes application with bodies from composite materials also remains open. In the presented work the following objectives were set: to assemble an experimental setup to study the thermal effect (flow), to conduct studies of temperature change on the surface of the conductor of the compound based on nanoparticles of liquid crystals and viscosity of liquid crystals from the concentration of nanoparticles. Methods and Materials. In this experimental work, a heat flux acts in the region of the outer boundary of the conductor. Note that the redistribution of the thermal field is influenced by such processes as heat conduction and heat transfer. To observe the thermal effect, compounds based on liquid crystal nanoparticles were used. Nanostructured liquid crystal systems have a unique property as fluidity inherent in ordinary liquids. For opaque conductor walls, a method for determining the direction of heat flow is proposed. Earlier experimental studies have shown that temperature measurement is possible only by pyrometric method. Therefore, the redistribution of temperature change on the conductor flow surface was recorded using an optical pyrometer that perceives thermal (infrared) radiation. In this work, a compound based on liquid crystal nanoparticles, namely with the addition of cholesteryloleate, was used as a base. Results and discussion. In the course of the study, temperature dependences in the heat flow zone of the conductor in the absence and in the presence of liquid motion were experimentally obtained. Dependences of temperature change on the surface of the conductor with compounds based on nanoparticles of liquid crystals have been measured. Inhomogeneous redistribution of the thermal field is shown. The results of the study of the dependence of the viscosity of nematic liquid crystals on the concentration of nanoparticles are presented. Conclusion. The above data show that the thermal effect on the surface is not uniformly distributed. For visualization of the thermal effect, compounds based on nanoparticles of liquid crystals turned out to be more effective. A technique has been developed to determine the direction and calculate mathematically the magnitude of the liquid heat flux in the opaque conductor flow. It should be noted that the viscosity of liquid crystals changes when nanoparticles are coupled.