Prof. Amir Gat and doctoral student Ezra Ben-Abo present in Materials Today Physics a mechanical metafluid that can be compressed and dynamically driven using varying magnetic fields
Researchers in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new material that is expected to revolutionize a range of applications, including energy harvesting, storage and transport, as well as refrigeration and heat pumps. The article was published in the journal Materials Today PhysicsThe aforementioned material, developed by Prof. Amir Gat and doctoral student Ezra Ben-Abu, is Mechanical metafluid.
Metamaterials are unique materials that exhibit properties that do not exist in nature, hence the interest in them. These are artificial structures composed of base units arranged in a cyclical manner and respond in diverse ways to mechanical load, which gives them special behaviors at the macro level – behaviors that are different from those of standard materials. These materials make it possible to control optical, acoustic, and thermal fields in an unprecedented way. Most of these materials are solid structures, and the innovation of the Technion researchers is in creating a liquid metamaterial. Although liquids of this type have been developed in the past, they are very limited in their performance.
The technology developed by Technion researchers allows them to control the behavior of these fluids using time-varying magnetic fields. This allows for dynamic control of the fluid's flow velocity – an applied discovery relevant to various aspects of the energy world.
The control of the fluid was achieved by using tiny magnetic capsules placed inside the fluid. These capsules contain gas and respond to the changing magnetic fields applied to them. The researchers developed a prototype that demonstrates the applicability of their model, which allows for controlling the movement and compression of the fluid.
According to Prof. Gat, "Using the technology we developed, it will be possible to leverage metafluids for many applications involving the movement, compression, and expansion of their basic units. This technology transforms metafluid research from a theoretical idea to a real engineering application, with extensive technological potential in critical areas such as cooling systems, heat pumps, energy harvesting, energy storage, and energy transport."
To the article in the journal Materials Today Physics - click here
More of the topic in Hayadan:
