This research proposes a numerical approach to improve the thermal performance of shape memory polymers (SMPs) while their mechanical properties remain intact. Sixteen different 3D minichannel structures were numerically designed to investigate the impact of embedded water flow in microchannel networks on the thermal response and shape recovery of SMPs. This work employs two approaches, each with different physics: approach A focuses on solid mechanics analysis and, accordingly, thermal analysis in solids without considering the fluid. approach B tackles solid and fluid mechanics analysis and thermal analysis in both solid and fluid subdomains, which inherently calls for fluid–structure coupling in a uniform procedure. Finally, the results of these two approaches are compared to predict the SMP’s thermal and mechanical behavior. The structural designs are then analyzed in terms of their shape recovery speed, recovery ratio, and recovery parameters. The results indicate that isotropic structures thermally outperform their anisotropic counterparts, exhibiting improved thermal characteristics and faster shape recovery. Additionally, it was observed that polymeric structures with a low volume fraction of embedded branches thermally perform efficiently. The findings of this study predict that the geometrical angle between the main branch and sub-branches of SMP favorably impacts the enhancement of thermal characteristics of the structure, accelerating its shape recovery. Approach B accelerates the shape recovery rate in SMPs due to fluid flow and uniform heat transfer within the structures.

Power dissipation is known as the most notable limiting factor in all nano-electronic design techniques including Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA). The familiar reversible computing approach is used as a reasonably reliable solution, mitigating power dissipation. This study presents, a comprehensive multi-objective method for designing R-Fs in emerging QCA technology. The results are investigated in both logical and layout levels, in detail. The results verify that the approach offered in this study has advantage over the most efficient approaches available in the literature by far. This comparison can be made on various parameters ranging from area, complexity (cell amount), delay (clocking zones), and to even logical levels including levels, Control inputs, the number of majority and NOT gates.