Thermal camouflage could have application in heat management of electronics components
1 min read
Researchers from the National University of Singapore's Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have developed a thermal illusion device in which thermotic materials have been used to control thermal camouflage and invisibility.
According to Dr Qiu Chengwei (pictured right with associate professor John Thong): "This is the first time that such a cloak has been proven to work effectively, based on thermotics. Our success means we have a cloaking technology that is cost effective and scalable to bigger objects, such as soldiers on night missions.
"We have managed to control the thermal illusions' shapes, material properties, distributions and locations using bulk natural materials without sophisticated fabrication. This overcomes practical and challenging limitations of metamaterials, which are not found in nature and hence would require complicated and complex design."
The approach requires two phases. In the first phase, the device enables thermal cloaking, whilst the second phase generates thermal camouflage.
In phase one, an inner layer of the cloak is generated, eliminating, for example, someone's thermal signature and making them 'disappear'. According to the researchers, this provides complete insulation and ensures no thermal signals can be detected.
In phase two, an outer layer is deployed in which a spurious thermal signature is generated, suggesting the presence of something different. The NUS team offers as an example the potential to replace the thermal signature of a soldier with those of two women.
A spinoff application of the research, said Dr Qiu, could be in the heat management of highly packed electronic circuits, interconnectors and batteries.
