Abstract: A thermal energy storage system including an enclosure having an internal volume. An incompressible phase change material (PCM) is provided within the internal volume of the enclosure, where the PCM contracts into a solid state when its temperature falls below a certain temperature and expands into a liquid state when its temperature goes above the certain temperature. An elastic bladder is positioned adjacent to the PCM within the internal volume of the enclosure and is filled with a compressible material, where the PCM pushes against the bladder when it is expanded to the liquid state and causes the compressible material to be compressed within the bladder and the enclosure.

Abstract: A multilayered metal nanowire array including a plurality of stacked and separated nanowire array layers each including a plurality of vertically aligned metal nanowires, and a lateral interposer positioned in a gap between each pair of adjacent nanowire array layers and being thermally coupled to the nanowires in the adjacent layers so that the lateral interposers provide thermal conduction between the nanowire array layers and laterally across each nanowire array layer. The nanowire array layers between the interposers can have the same or different thicknesses, the diameter and density of the nanowires can be the same or different, and the nanowire metal can be the same or different.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage system including an enclosure having an internal volume. An incompressible phase change material (PCM) is provided within the internal volume of the enclosure, where the PCM contracts into a solid state when its temperature falls below a certain temperature and expands into a liquid state when its temperature goes above the certain temperature. An elastic bladder is positioned adjacent to the PCM within the internal volume of the enclosure and is filled with a compressible material, where the PCM pushes against the bladder when it is expanded to the liquid state and causes the compressible material to be compressed within the bladder and the enclosure.

Abstract: A heat pipe that employs a metal woodpile capillary wick. The heat pipe includes an outer enclosure defining a chamber therein that contains a working fluid, an evaporator section for converting the fluid to vapor in response to being heated from a heat source, and a condenser section for converting the vapor back into the fluid in response to cooling from a heat sink. The wick is positioned within the chamber in contact with the enclosure and extends between the evaporator section and the condenser section. The wick includes a plurality of layers each having spaced apart parallel thermally conductive bars defining channels therebetween, where the bars in adjacent layers are oriented in different directions and where the condensed fluid flows through the channels in the wick from the condenser section to the evaporator section.

Abstract: An integrated circuit assembly including an integrated circuit formed on one side of a substrate and a thermal spreading layer composed of a silver ink directly printed on an opposite side of the substrate from the integrated circuit, where the thermal spreading layer removes heat generated by the integrated circuit. The assembly also includes a heat sink thermally attached to the thermal spreading layer opposite to the substrate, where the heat sink is attached to the thermal spreading layer by printing the same material on the heat sink as the thermal spreading layer and pressing the spreading layer to the heat sink.

Abstract: An integrated circuit assembly including an integrated circuit formed on one side of a substrate and a thermal spreading layer composed of a silver ink directly printed on an opposite side of the substrate from the integrated circuit, where the thermal spreading layer removes heat generated by the integrated circuit. The assembly also includes a heat sink thermally attached to the thermal spreading layer opposite to the substrate, where the heat sink is attached to the thermal spreading layer by printing the same material on the heat sink as the thermal spreading layer and pressing the spreading layer to the heat sink.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a multilayered metal nanowire array including providing a metal seed layer, stacking a plurality of porous templates on the seed layer so that a gap forms between each adjacent pair of templates, depositing by electroplating a metal in the pores so that the metal produces nanowires in the templates and lateral interposers in the gaps between the templates, and dissolving the templates so as to produce the multilayered nanowire array including the lateral interposers. The layers between the interposers can have the same or different thicknesses, the diameter and density of the pores in each layer can be the same or different and the metal deposited in the pores of the layers can be the same or different.

Abstract: A thermal management system for transferring heat to and from a heat source. The system includes a thermal conductor thermally coupled to the heat source, a pressure dependent thermal conductance element thermally coupled to the conductor, and a heat sink thermally coupled to or thermally separable from the thermal conductance element. An actuator is configured relative to the thermal conductor, the thermal conductance element and the heat sink that controls the compression of the thermal conductance element between the thermal conductor and the heat sink so as to control the transfer of heat therebetween. The thermal conductance element can be compressible TIM element, such as a nanowire array, carbon nanotube forest, polymeric gasket, etc.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a multilayered metal nanowire array including providing a metal seed layer, stacking a plurality of porous templates on the seed layer so that a gap forms between each adjacent pair of templates, depositing by electroplating a metal in the pores so that the metal produces nanowires in the templates and lateral interposers in the gaps between the templates, and dissolving the templates so as to produce the multilayered nanowire array including the lateral interposers. The layers between the interposers can have the same or different thicknesses, the diameter and density of the pores in each layer can be the same or different and the metal deposited in the pores of the layers can be the same or different.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for protecting a temperature sensitive object. A system includes a temperature sensitive object and a thermal control material in thermal communication with the temperature sensitive object. The thermal control material has an emissivity that varies as a function of temperature, and includes a substrate comprising a first surface comprising one of a photonic crystal, a metamaterial, a metasurface, and a multilayer film, a solid state phase change material in contact with the surface, and a reflective thin film material at one of a second surface of the substrate, at a surface of the solid state phase change material, and on an opposite side of an optical cavity from the substrate.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material: placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.

Abstract: A method for making a thermal interface material (TIM) comprises the steps of: depositing a seed layer onto a substrate; attaching a template membrane to the substrate; depositing metal into one or more of the pores of the template membrane, substantially filling the template membrane to create a vertically-aligned metal nanowire (MNW) array comprising a plurality of nanowires that grow upward from the seed layer; and after the template membrane is substantially filled with the deposited metal, removing the template membrane, leaving the plurality of nanowires attached to the seed layer. A TIM comprises: a vertically-aligned MNW array comprising a plurality of nanowires that grow upward from a seed layer deposited on the surface of a template membrane, and the template membrane being removed after MNW growth.

Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.