An analogy analysis between one-dimensional non-Fourier heat conduction and non-Newtonian flow in nanosystems

The transport of heat and momentum will exhibit non-linear and nonlocal behavior in extreme conditions, including the limited spatial scale in nanosystems. In this work, we present an analogy analysis between non-Fourier heat conduction and non-Newtonian momentum transport. Similar to the key assumptions in the thermomass model, we derived a new governing equation for momentum transport in nanosystems, which predicts the varying effective viscosity in steady flow. This shear thinning effect will be apparent in nano-channel flow where the velocity gradient and the momentum transport flux are huge. Molecular dynamics simulation is further performed in Lennard-Jones fluid and hard sphere gas at the nanoscale. The calculated viscosity decreases with the shear rate, agreeing with the prediction of our proposed model. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigates the non-linear and nonlocal behavior of heat and momentum transport under extreme conditions, focusing on the varying effective viscosity and shear thinning effect in nano-channel flow. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm the decrease in viscosity with shear rate, in agreement with the proposed model.