Near-field radiative heat transfer between isotropic, dielectric-based metamaterials is analyzed. A potassium bromide host medium comprised of silicon carbide (SiC) spheres with a volume filling fraction of 0.4 is considered for the metamaterial. The relative electric permittivity and relative magnetic permeability of the metamaterial are modeled via the Clausius-Mossotti relations linking the macroscopic response of the medium with the polarizabilities of the spheres. We show for the first time that electric and magnetic surface polariton (SP) mediated near-field radiative heat transfer occurs between dielectric-based structures. Magnetic SPs, existing in TE polarization, are physically due to strong magnetic dipole resonances of the spheres. We find that spherical inclusions with radii of 1 μm (or greater) are needed in order to induce SPs in TE polarization. On the other hand, electric SPs existing in TM polarization are generated by surface modes of the spheres, and are thus almost insensitive to the size of the inclusions. We estimate that the total heat flux around SP resonance for the metamaterial comprised of SiC spheres with radii of 1 μm is about 35% greater than the flux predicted between two bulks of SiC, where only surface phonon-polaritons in TM polarization are excited. The results presented in this work show that the near-field thermal spectrum can be engineered via dielectric-based metamaterials, which is crucial in many emerging technologies, such as in nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic power generation.

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A method for in-situ optical measurements of solid and hybrid propellant rocket plumes is developed, and results from proof of concept tests are presented. The developed method inserts fiber-optic cables acting as radiation conduits into the solid-fuel combustion port, allowing optical signals to be transmitted from the flame zone to externally-mounted spectrometers. Multiple hot-firings using a using a lab-scale gaseous-oxygen, thermo-plastic fueled hybrid rocket system were performed to validate the sensing method. Burn durations varied from 5 to 25 s, and the inserted fiber optic sensors survived for all of the hot fire tests. The obtained optical spectra were curve-fit to Planck’s black-body radiation law, and Wien’s displacement law was used to estimate the internal flame-temperature. Optically-sensed flame-temperatures are correlated to analytical predictions, and shown to generally agree within a few degrees. Additionally, local maxima in the optical spectra are shown to correspond to emission frequencies of atomic and molecular hydrogen, water vapor, and molecular nitrogen; all species known to exist in the hybrid combustion plume. Based on these preliminary test results, it is concluded that this simple in-situ measurement system operates as designed, and it shows considerable promise for future applications to a wide swath of gas-generator systems.

Near-field radiative heat transfer between dielectric-based metamaterials separated by a sub-wavelength vacuum gap is analyzed. Metamaterials made of silicon carbide spherical inclusions within a dielectric host medium of potassium bromide are considered. We show for the first time that surface polariton mediated near-field radiative heat transfer in both TE and TM polarizations may occur between dielectric-based structures. The results presented in this work also demonstrate that it is possible to engineer materials with designer radiative properties, which is crucial in many emerging energy conversion technologies.