We have made novel contributions towards unveiling hitherto-unaddressed interfacial dynamics of contact line motion under alternating current electrothermal (ACET) flows. ACET deals with thermal field causing inhomogeneity in permittivity and electrical conductivity. Mismatch in viscosity, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity are considered to reveal nontrivial effect of these property contrasts. We have observed several new phenomena in the process, such as interface breaking, interface bending, stick-slip motion etc. depending on the range of fluid property ratios. The non-intuitive interplay between various forces: ACET forces, viscous force and surface tension force, in presence of ACET effects, turns out to be fascinating.
Based on the above-mentioned fundamental scientific premises, we have also proposed an innovative concept of an efficient, site-specific cooling technology of microelectronic devices and systems. ACET deploys an electrokinetic transport mechanism without requiring any external prime mover and can be shown to be highly effective in reducing hot spot temperatures below their allowable limits. The proposed technique leverages the heat source(s) itself to drive the fluid in the ACET cooling mechanism thereby making this a highly energy efficient active technique. Preliminary results establish the potential of the ACET cooling and can opens up a new avenue that can be explored for thermal management of miniaturized devices and systems.
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