Molecular dynamic study of local interfacial thermal resistance of solid-liquid and solid-solid interfaces: Water and nanotextured surface

Degradation in the performance of air conditioners and refrigerators is caused by frost formation and adhesion on the surface. In the present study, by means of the classical molecular dynamics simulation, we investigated how and how much the nanotextured surface geometry influenced the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) between the hydrophilic solid wall and the water/ice. The ITR of the interfacial region was comparable in both the water and the ice states. As the nanostructure gaps became narrower, the ITR of the interfacial region decreased. In addition, local ITRs of the nanotextured surfaces were characterized. Especially when the H₂O molecules were in the crystal form, the local ITR significantly increased. A greater amount of the thermal energy was transferred through the material interface by means of the intermolecular interaction when more H₂O molecules were located in the proximity area, which was closer to the Pt solid wall than the first adsorption layer density peak. When the H₂O molecules were in the crystal form on the solid wall, the proximity molecules decreased, and then the local ITR significantly increased.