CAREER: Microscale Energy Transport In Aerogels

气凝胶是一种由纳米级颗粒和孔隙组成的特殊材料。二氧化硅气凝胶具有极低的密度，其微观结构使其具有不同寻常的热物理特性，可用于电气和隔热材料等重要应用。本研究的重点是确定薄膜气凝胶的热性能，这是标准的实验技术和分析无法应用的。分形分析将应用于从微观结构上理解薄膜的性质，并将进行实验来确定薄膜气凝胶在基底上的导热性，并在室温下的微尺度下证明长度尺度效应的存在。该教育计划强调将统计方法，包括实验设计，引入工程课程。此外，PI还计划扩大一个已经很强大的指导项目，鼓励女性在大学和初高中学生中进入工程领域。

ABSTRACT Norris UVA CTS-9501911 Aerogels are unusual materials composed of nanometer-sized particles and pores. Silica aerogels have extremely low density, and the microstructure gives them unusual thermophysical properties that allow important applications such as for electrical and thermal insulators. This research centers on determining the thermal properties of thin-film aerogels, for which standard experimental techniques and analyses cannot be applied. Fractal analysis will be applied to understanding the properties of thin-films from their microstructure, and experiments will be carried out to determine the thermal conductivity of thin-film aerogels on substrates and to demonstrate the existance of length-scale effects at the microscale at room temperatures. The educational plan emphasizes bringing statistical methods, including design of experiments, into the engineering curriculum. In addition, the PI has plans for expanding an already strong mentoring program for encouraging women to enter engineering, both in the university and with junior high and high-school students.