Radiative thermal analysis for surface optimization of high emissivity coatings with bio-inspired configuration

• Five bio-inspired surface structures are established for high emissivity coatings with superior thermal radiation performance under high temperature. • The enhanced thermal radiative transition is derived from “V-shaped” structures along surface. • The pyramid model significantly improves surface total radiant flux by up to 3.7 times. High emissivity coatings (HECs) are crucial for energy conservation at high temperature through effective thermal radiative transfer, while suffering from surficial failure due to the use of muti-layer or materials. To investigate HECs with excellent thermal radiation performance and stability, start from the adjustment of surface morphology, we designed five surface structures inspired by the nanostructures found on the wing scales of the Papilio xuthus butterfly and the hairs of Saharan silver ants. The thermal radiation behaviors of these models were systematically simulated. And the results demonstrate that surfaces incorporating “V” grooves exhibit a significantly enhanced capability of thermal radiative transmission. Notably, the pyramid surface with a structural number of 16, a coating thickness of 1.25 µm and a material emissivity of 0.9 achieves the highest average radiant intensity of 2.32 × 10 6 W/m 2 , which is 3.7 times greater than that of the flat surface. These findings serve as a valuable reference for applying HEC with optimal surface structures, enabling significant heat dissipation and energy efficiency improvement for high-temperature devices.