Heat Transfer Coefficient Research Articles

Numerical investigation of segmental baffle design in shell and tube heat exchangers with varying inclination angles and spacing

This article explores the crucial function that Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers (STHE) play in a variety of industrial applications. This research uses a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to model turbulent fluid flow and evaluate the performance of different baffle angle configurations. The study evaluates performance indicators such as overall heat transfer coefficient (OHT), shell side heat transfer coefficient (HTC), pressure drop (PD), and PEC (Performance Evaluation Criteria), this study evaluates their effect on Segmental STHE performance. The findings indicate that the PD in the shell section rises by a range of 56.8–60.9% for baffles inclined 0° to 30°. Additionally, compared to the 0° inclined baffles, the 30° inclined baffles exhibit a greater OHT of 4.5–6%. The PEC values that are determined for each type of baffle are the most crucial aspect to take into account while selecting the optimal STHE. The 25° inclined baffles have been selected as the most advantageous baffles due to their improved performance, as seen by their different PEC values. In the subsequent stage of the study, researchers investigated how changing the quantity of superior baffles (inclined) affects the STHE’s efficiency. As the number of baffles was increased from 4 to 10, the OHT rose by 14.5–17% and the PD increased by 138.63–141.7%. This thorough simulation revealed that the STHE with the 8 inclined baffles had the highest PEC value and was therefore the most appropriate STHE.

Data analysis for performance index of plate heat exchanger filled by ionanofluid-oil: parallel versus counterflow

Plate heat exchangers ensure their continued relevance and adaptability in meeting modern energy, environmental, and industrial demands. Innovations in this area significantly improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance industrial processes. However, the ionanofluid significantly enhanced the thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient compared to conventional fluids. This study focuses on a three-chambered parallel plate heat exchanger (PHE) using cold ionanofluid (a mixture of graphene as nanoparticle and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([C2mim][SCN]) as ionic liquid) in the top and bottom channels and hot oil in the middle channel. It aims to determine the most effective configuration for performance index (η) and energy efficiency, given the unique properties of ionanofluid. The governing equations of Navier–Stokes and energy balance are solved numerically using the finite element method. The impact of different Reynolds numbers (Re) and solid concentrations (ϕ) of nanoparticles on the fluid velocity and temperature fields is observed, and various related parameters are calculated. A comprehensive data analysis is conducted using the surface response method, including ANOVA, sensitivity analysis, and optimization testing. The counter and parallel flow designs achieve approximately 76.23% and 70.07% thermal enhancement at Re = 1, respectively. The optimal performance index occurs at (Re = 1, ϕ = 0.025), chosen to maximize predicted η (= 33972.3) and actual η (= 34020.03). The results indicate that the counterflow configuration consistently outperforms the parallel flow configuration regarding heat transfer efficiency. The counterflow configuration exhibited superior overall performance and provided a more uniform temperature distribution across the PHE. This research offers important insights into the application of ionanofluids in heat exchangers by comparing both parallel and counterflow setups. The study demonstrates high R2 values for the response function, highlighting its significance, and suggests practical implications for the optimization of heat exchanger designs in industrial settings.

Palm Oil as a Heat Transfer Medium

Palm oil plants are abundantly available in Malaysia and are harvested commercially to either be exported in their crude form or used as a base for products such as soap and cooking oil. However, palm oil has also invoked interest in being used as a coolant. As opposed to conventional coolants, vegetable-based coolants such as palm oil offer several advantages, such as being more environmentally friendly upon disposal and safer for users as they are less chemically reactive. It is an accepted hypothesis that the inclusion of nanoparticles would generally increase the heat transfer rate of most fluids as these nanoparticles contribute to a rise in the heat transfer area. This paper presents a numerical study on using palm oil as a medium for heat transfer in machining operations, with and without the use of nanoparticles. It presents heat transfer comparisons between palm oil, conventional water and mineral oil coolants. It was found that the inclusion of nanoparticles increases the heat transfer capability of mineral oil and palm oil with palm oil being more positively affected. However, there is no apparent trend or correlation that can be made between concentration and heat transfer as the percentage increase of the surface heat flux and heat transfer coefficient are inconsistent with the 2% concentration showing a higher percentage increase compared to the 1% and 3% concentrations. Considering the results of this preliminary study, it can be concluded that palm oil together with nanoparticles does present a promising prospect as a coolant.

A computational approach to analyze apple dehydration using hybrid active solar dryer

AbstractIn the present research, the control parameters that is, bed area, water flow rate, and No. of air exchanges of Hybrid Active Solar Dryer integrated with Evacuated Tube Collector located at the solar energy laboratory of Madhav Institute of Technology and Science (MITS) Gwalior (M.P.) India, have been optimized. Moisture removal (mev), convective heat transfer coefficient (hc), evaporative heat transfer coefficient (he) and drying rate (Rd) have been taken as response parameters. Experiments have been conducted in different seasons according to Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array (OA). Response data has been analyzed independently and simultaneously. With the help of signal‐to‐noise (S/N) ratio, optimal parameter setting has been determined for good performance in different seasons. Entropy measuring techniques are used to determine the entropy weightage of each response. Gray relational analysis integrates several responses into a single one, that is, gray relational grade (GRG). The value of predicted S/N ratio for GRG as per optimal parameter setting is −0.04706 which is higher than the experimental S/N ratio which is −0.48614, indicating the successful implementation of this approach.

Inverse Properties Estimation of Methanol Adsorption in Activated Carbon to Utilise in Adsorption Cooling Applications: An Experimental and Numerical Study

The precise estimation of influential parameters in adsorption is a key point in conducting simulations for the sensitivity analysis and optimal design of cooling systems. This study explores the critical role of a new type of granular activated carbon (GAC-208C) in adsorption refrigeration systems. By fitting experimental and numerical models to the thermophysical properties of GAC/methanol as a working pair, an advanced methodology is established for the thermal analysis of the adsorption bed, addressing the various operating conditions overlooked in prior studies. The physical properties of the studied carbon sample are determined in a laboratory using surface area and pore volume tests, thermal adsorption analysis, and weight loss. To determine the thermal properties of GAC/methanol, the adsorption process is experimentally tested inside an isolated heat exchanger. A three-dimensional (3D) model is created to simulate the procedure and then coupled with the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm in MATLAB. The optimal thermal parameters for adsorption are determined by minimising the mean square error (MSE) of the adsorption bed temperature between the numerical and experimental data. The laboratory studies yielded accurate results for the physical properties of GAC, including adsorption capacity, porosity, permeability, specific heat capacity, density, activation energy, and the heat of adsorption. The thermal analysis of the adsorption process identified the ideal values for the Dubinin–Astakhov equation constants, diffusion coefficients, heat transfer coefficients, and contact resistance. The numerical model demonstrated strong agreement with the experimental results, and the dynamic behaviour of pressure and uptake distribution showed good agreement with 1.2% relative error. This research study contributes to the improved estimation of adsorption parameters to conduct more accurate numerical simulations and design new adsorption systems with enhanced performance under different operating conditions.

IIoT Implementation to Investigate the Heat Transfer Efficiency of a Concentric Corrugated Pipe Heat Exchanger

ABSTRACTThe Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) plays a key role in industrial applications and manufacturing processes. Numerous technologies are implementing IIoT to monitor and control manufacturing processes, maintain reliability, and increase productivity. In this study, IIoT was used to demonstrate the heat transfer performance of a double‐pipe heat exchanger at the laboratory scale to provide research guidelines. Two types of inner pipes, smooth and corrugated pipes, were used in the experiment. In the experiment, the hot‐ and cold‐water mass flow rates were 9 and 10 L/m, respectively. The cold‐ and hot‐water temperatures were set at 20°C, 22°C, and 24°C and 35°C, 40°C, and 45°C, respectively. Equipment operation control and reading and recording of the experimental data were performed using PLC and IIoT platforms. The experimental results showed that heat exchange using corrugated pipes was more efficient than smooth pipes when considering the overall heat transfer coefficient, with an effectiveness of approximately 19%. However, corrugated pipes exhibited a 30% higher pressure difference compared to smooth pipes. This reveals that IIoT has been established and can be effectively applied to laboratory thermal solutions, allowing operators to read real‐time data at any time, both inside and outside the work area.

Flow Boiling Analysis for HFE‐7100 in a Vertical Porous Tube

ABSTRACTMuch recent research has focused on dielectric fluids in engineering applications because of their physical properties. In this study, the use of HFE‐7100 as a working fluid in a porous pipe exposed to thermal conditions like solar radiation conditions in Baghdad city was studied. The two‐phase mixture model with Local Thermal Non‐Equilibrium assumption was applied to analyze the flow boiling of a subcooled HFE‐7100 in a vertical pipe filled with high porosity metal foam. The Finite volume approach with MATLAB code was used to solve the governing equations like continuity, momentum based on Forchheimer‐extended Darcy model and energy equations. The results displayed that the heat transfer rises with the rise in pore density, porosity and the heat flux while the liquid saturation reduces with the raise in heat flux and pore density and the decrease in porosity of the metal foam. PPI effect is more effective at low porosity, as it increases the heat transfer coefficient by 101%, 95%, and 88% at 0.8, 0.9, and 0.95 porosity, respectively. But the effect of porosity is very small compared to PPI effect on the liquid saturation where it decreases by 4% when the porosity decreases from 0.95 to 0.85, while it decreases by 23% when the pore density increases from 10 to 110 PPI.

Experimental Study on Thermal Management of 5S7P Battery Module with Immersion Cooling Under High Charging/Discharging C-Rates

In this study, the efficiency of an immersion cooling system for controlling the temperature of 5S7P battery modules at high charge and discharge C-rates was experimentally evaluated. The study was conducted in three main stages including the evaluation of different coolant oils followed by the proposition of an optimal volume flow rate (VFR) and cooling performance evaluation under high charging/discharging C-rates. In the first stage, three coolant oils, including Therminol D-12, Pitherm 150B, and BOT 2100, were compared. The Therminol D-12 achieved superior cooling performance, with the highest heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 2171.93 W/m2⋅K and the ability to maintain the maximum temperature (Tmax) and temperature difference (∆T) of the battery module within the safe range. In the next stage, VFR was varied between 0.4 LPM and 1.0 LPM for the selected best coolant oil of Therminol D-12. The 0.8 LPM VFR was determined to be optimal with the highest HTC of 2445.73 W/m2⋅K and an acceptable pressure drop of 12,650 Pa, ensuring a balance between cooling performance and energy consumption. Finally, the cooling performance was evaluated at high charging/discharging C-rates from 1.5C to 3.0C for the proposed best coolant oil and VFR. The immersion cooling system with Therminol D-12 and a VFR of 0.8 LPM is an effective combination to achieve the desired performance of the battery module under extreme C-rate working conditions. The immersion cooling system with the proposed effective combination maintains the Tmax and ∆T at 38.6 °C and 4.3 °C under a charging rate of 3.0C and to 43.0 °C and 5.5 °C under a discharging rate of 3.0C.

Experimental investigations into flow boiling heat transfer in ribbed micro-channels with rectangular reentrant cavities

Reentrant cavities are fabricated at the side walls of ribs and bottom walls of grooves to enhance the flow boiling heat transfer in rectangular-ribbed micro-channels. To reveal the geometrical effect of reentrant cavities, two different reentrant cavities, i.e. RRMB-1 (ribbed micro-channel with narrow reentrant cavities) and RRMB-2 (ribbed micro-channel with wide reentrant cavities), are designed and the RM micro-channel (i.e. smooth ribbed micro-channel without reentrant cavities) is manufactured as the baseline case. The flow boiling heat transfer performance in the micro-channels is experimentally investigated at four mass fluxes and a range of heat fluxes. The flow regimes are visualized during the flow boiling process. The influences of reentrant cavities on the heat transfer coefficient, critical heat flux, pressure drop, outlet temperature fluctuation and performance evaluation criterion of three different micro-channels are analyzed and compared. The results showed that the capillary effect in the reentrant cavities results in a 19.5% increase in the heat transfer coefficient, and a 23.4% increase in the critical heat flux for the RRMB-1 at a low mass flux. The pressure drop in the RRMB-1 micro-channel is slightly higher than that in the RM micro-channel in the single-phase region, while it is opposite at the high heat flux condition. The critical heat flux in the RRMB-2 micro-channel is lower than the RRMB-1 micro-channel by 34.5%, but the pressure drop in the RRMB-2 micro-channel is higher than the RRMB-1 micro-channel by 50.3% in the two-phase region.

Greenhouse Covering Material Overall Heat-transfer Coefficient Determination Using Contour Plots

Improving greenhouse heat-insulating performance requires covering materials with low overall heat-transfer coefficients. We constructed a contour plot using equations relating this coefficient to longwave radiation absorptance under different outdoor downward longwave radiation levels. It revealed that the coefficient ranged from 4.7 to 7.7 W·m−2·K−1, decreasing with increasing downward longwave radiation and longwave radiation absorptance. This method facilitates rapid estimation of overall heat-transfer coefficients under different downward longwave-radiation levels, based on longwave-radiation absorptance.

Multi-objective geometric optimization of protrusion, droplet ribs, and inclined upper plate of a slit jet impingement heat sink to enhance its thermal performance

To meet the needs of heat transfer and temperature uniformity in the heat dissipation of high-heat-flux electronic devices, a novel slit jet impingement heat sink with a protrusion in the stagnation region, droplet ribs in the wall jet region, and an inclined upper-plate (PDI-SJIHS) is proposed, the coolant is Al2O3-H2O nanofluid. The influences of the structural parameters of the above three components and the Reynolds number on the heat transfer and flow of the PDI-SJIHS are studied numerically. Using the comprehensive heat transfer and temperature standard deviation as objective functions, a multi-objective optimization of PDI-SJIHS is conducted using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-Ⅱ (NSGA-Ⅱ). The results indicate that the combination of the three components enhances the thermal performance of the PDI-SJIHS, compared with the slit jet impingement heat sink with only one of the above components. Rising the Reynolds number can enhance the thermal characteristics of the PDI-SJIHS. For a Reynolds number of 8000 and nanofluids with a 3% volume fraction, the average convective heat transfer coefficient, friction coefficient, and comprehensive heat transfer coefficient of the optimized PDI-SJIHS are increased by 182%, 153%, and 108%, respectively, and the standard deviation of temperature is 91% less than that of F-SJIHS.

Molecular dynamics study of heterogeneous nucleate boiling on metallic oxides

This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the nanoscale boiling of water on Al2O3, CuO, Fe2O3, TiO2, and ZrO2 substrates. By regulating the mechanical piston pressure and increasing the water film height above 10 nm, the simulations adhere to 1 atm and classical nucleation theory. Boiling performance is compared based on wettability, heat flux (HF), heat transfer coefficient (HTC), bubble volume percentage, bubble growth rate, and incipient explosive boiling time. CuO exhibits the highest HF at 33.46 GW/m2, while ZrO2 shows the lowest at 14.03 GW/m2. Al2O3, Fe2O3, and TiO2 have similar HTCs, ranging from 0.106 to 0.116 GW/m2/K. Fe2O3 demonstrates the highest bubble growth rate at 151.0 Å3/ps, indicating vigorous boiling activity. The surfaces of Al2O3, TiO2, and ZrO2 present a sawtooth structure that facilitates heat transfer and nucleation, explaining why Al2O3, despite its poor wettability, initiates explosive boiling the earliest. The proposed bubble atom insertion method offers a high-fidelity analysis of bubble dynamics. Principal axis deflection angles of bubble clusters are 0° and 90° for cross-type (Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2) and 45° and 135° for diagonal-type (CuO, ZrO2), indicating that bubbles nucleate and grow along the paths of oxygen atoms in these oxides.

Design and analyses of an AB5 - metal hydride based canister for hydrogen compressor application

The reversible hydrogen storage nature of metal hydride (MH) is widely accepted for the development of MH based energy devices like energy storage, hydrogen compressors, etc. For efficient working of such devices, the appropriate thermal management of canister is very important i.e. extraction and supply of heat during hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, respectively. The accumulation of heat reduces the hydrogen storage capacity as well as detoriarates the reaction rates because of increase in MH temperature. Therefore, to optimise the MH heat transfer, in the present work, a helical coil is introduced within the MH Canister (MHC) to circulate the heat transfer fluid in addition to an external cooling jacket. The purpose of using helical coil is to get more surface contact with MH because of the poor thermal conductivity of MH. The performance analyses have been carried out through a 3-D Finite Volume Approach employed with La0.9Ce0.1Ni5. The analyses include the influence of coefficient of heat transfer, pressure, and temperature on the designed canister as well as the compressor performance. Initially, the numerical model is validated with experimental results available in the literature and observed in good match. Later, the performance of MHC is predicted for different operating conditions which results in the estimated storage capacity of hydrogen is about 1.48wt% at 25bar and 298K. In addition, it is observed that at an elevated supply pressure, the reaction rates increased as well as the rise in MHC temperature increased due to exothermic heat. Later, the MHC is tested for the application as hydrogen compressor which results in the compression ratio of 10.8 with a discharge pressure of 270bar at 140°C providing ~20% efficiency.

Experimental local heat transfer coefficient for subcooled flow boiling in a microchannel and new predictive method

Experimental local heat transfer coefficient for subcooled flow boiling in a microchannel and new predictive method

Modelling district heating demand: A synthetic dataset for two residential neighbourhoods.

The extensive artificial datasets developed in this study capture the energy demands of two districts and, with reasonable constraints, emulate monitoring campaigns typically conducted on-site in inhabited houses. Generated datasets are the following, one 1) representing low-performing building stock from before the deployment of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (2006), and the other 2) reflecting high-performing stock constructed after 2006. The buildings in the datasets were simulated representing single-family homes, typical of neighbourhoods in Flanders, Belgium. The datasets were generated using Dymola and the IDEAS package integrated with TEASER. Each simulated house differs in geometry, size, envelope characteristics, occupancy patterns, and installed gas heating systems. Envelope characteristics for older houses were derived from Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data, and categorized into four construction periods, while newer houses were based on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) reports, both evaluated in Flanders. The datasets feature only heavy-weight houses in terraced, semi-detached or detached configurations, modelled as either single- or two-zone buildings, depending on their number of storeys. The simulations incorporate a natural infiltration model and a stochastic occupant behaviour model that sets the temperature requirements and accounts for heat gains from occupants and appliances. Due to the computational effort of large-scale simulations, heating system performance was postprocessed using a data-driven approach assuming gas-fired heating systems. Six heating system configurations were allocated, including condensing and non-condensing boilers, each combined with one of three domestic hot water (DHW) setups: no integrated DHW, direct DHW, and DHW with a storage tank. For all system designs, production efficiency varied with the load ratio. Urban-scale simulations were carried out at 10-minute frequency using weather data for Heverlee, Belgium, from the year 2016. The primary objective of this dataset was to support the development of statistical tools for characterizing the heat transfer coefficient of building envelopes. However, the generated artificial datasets offer a wide range of typically hard-to-measure inputs, making them ideal for evaluating the impact of simulated components on the overall energy balance. While the initial focus was on the behaviour of individual buildings, these datasets are also valuable for urban-scale analyses, particularly in energy planning contexts.

Study on the thermal control performance of lightweight minimal surface lattice structures for aerospace applications

With the rapid evolution of aerospace technology and the increasing complexity of space environments, the demand for lightweight, thermally insulated, and highly efficient heat dissipation materials in aircraft equipment has surged. This study addresses this critical need by investigating Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) lattice structures, offering a novel design approach to enhance spacecraft thermal management under extreme temperatures. Our work introduces a methodology to quantitatively assess the thermal insulation and heat dissipation performance of various lightweight lattice sandwich structures. We constructed implicit function models of low volume fractions, including Gyroid, Diamond, Primitive, and IWP, and conducted experiments using an active cooling setup under controlled heating conditions at 300 °C. Key findings reveal that, at flow velocities ranging from 0.25 to 1.5 m/s, the Diamond model exhibited the highest convective heat transfer coefficient, surpassing the Gyroid, Primitive, and IWP models by 6.9 % to 427.3 %, 87.1 % to 485.6 %, and 1.5 % to 98.7 %, respectively. Conversely, at velocities between 1.5 and 3.75 m/s, the Gyroid model demonstrated superior heat exchange performance, improving by 14.6 % to 67.2 %, 73 % to 167.7 %, and 9 % to 64.8 % compared to the Diamond, Primitive, and IWP models. During thermal insulation tests at temperatures from 200 to 400 °C, the Diamond model showed the best insulation effect, while the Primitive model performed poorly. Based on the experimental data, we established empirical relationships between the Nusselt number, friction coefficient, and Geometric Surface Ratio (GS). These findings not only underscore the significant potential of TPMS lattice structures in aerospace applications but also provide a robust theoretical framework and practical guidelines for achieving efficient thermal management in lightweight aerospace manufacturing.

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow of ternary nanofluid and heat transfer past a permeable cylinder with velocity slip

The increasing demand for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions has driven the exploration of ternary nanofluids for enhanced heat transfer applications. This numerical study investigates the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow and heat transfer characteristics of a ternary hybrid nanofluid (copper-alumina-titania/water) over a shrinking/stretching cylinder, considering the effects of velocity slip, suction, and curvature parameters. The variable wall temperature is also included in the physical model. The model in PDEs is transformed into a simplified version of differential equations (ODEs) which can be solved using the bvp4c solver. Validation against previously published data confirms the accuracy of the model. Two solutions are possible if the shrinking surface is permeable (with suction effect) while only unique solution for the stretching case. Surprisingly, the copper-alumina-titania/water exhibits a lower heat transfer rate but higher skin friction as compared to the copper-alumina/water. Specifically, the heat transfer coefficient decreases by 5-10% when incorporating the titania nanoparticle, while an increase of 8-12% for the skin friction coefficient. Additionally, the velocity slip and curvature parameters accelerate the boundary layer separation, whereas increased suction delays this process. These findings provide insights into optimizing thermal management systems using ternary hybrid nanofluids, particularly under MHD effects.

Local characteristics and predictive models of the natural convective heat transfer coefficient for human body in standing and sitting postures

Local characteristics and predictive models of the natural convective heat transfer coefficient for human body in standing and sitting postures

Flow and heat transfer characteristics of a squealer tip with bent rail in turbine blades

Squealer tip is an effective method for reducing heat transfer and leakage losses of blade tips in gas turbines and is currently being extensively researched and developed. In this study, the squealer tip has been innovatively developed by introducing bent rails, and three types of squealer structures with bent rails were proposed: the bent pressure-side rail scheme (Case_P), the bent suction-side rail scheme (Case_S), and the bent double-side rail scheme (Case_PS). This study first compared the performance of the proposed novel schemes with the traditional squealer tip scheme with vertical rails (Baseline) in terms of tip heat transfer and flow control by analyzing parameters such as the tip heat transfer coefficient (h), leakage flow rate (LFR), and total pressure loss (Cpt) under fixed bending values (S). Subsequently, the effects of different bending values (S) on the three novel schemes were investigated. The results show that, in terms of heat transfer, both Case_P and Case_S can effectively reduce the tip h, but their mechanisms are entirely different. Case_P primarily relies on the increasing separation bubble size at pressure-side rail edge and gradually expanded low-energy flow region in the pressure-side rail corner. In contrast, in Case_S, it is mainly because the cavity flow enters the suction-side gap more smoothly due to the bent suction-side rail. In terms of aerodynamics, the bent pressure-side rail of Case_P significantly inhibits the entering velocity of leakage flow, thereby reducing the LFR and Cpt; however, Case_S causes the LFR to increase. In Case_PS, the heat transfer and leakage phenomena resemble a combination of Case_P and Case_S. With the increase in S, the tip h in the three schemes all decreases, and the tip heat transfer in Case_PS is more comprehensively reduced because it incorporates all the flow factors that reduce h from the other two schemes. In Case_PS, the rail types that both hinder and increase LFR coexist, resulting in the LFR remaining relatively stable with varied S.

Obtaining heat transfer coefficients (Kv) distribution directly from mass flow measurements during the sublimation step of freeze-drying.

The knowledge of heat transfer coefficients (Kv) and their distribution is a crucial element in the successful transfer of a freeze-drying process to a new piece of equipment. Nevertheless, the implementation of the classical ice sublimation method is resource consuming, particularly in the industrial context, which represents a significant barrier to its application. This paper demonstrates that the Kv distribution can be calculated from the measurement of mass flow during a freeze-drying operation by reversing the results of process simulation calculations. This methodology works independently of the experimental method used to measure the mass flux: tunable diode laser absorption, inlet/outlet temperature difference of the shelves, or chamber/ condenser pressure difference. The advantage of this new method is that it requires no specific experimental effort and can be carried out on routine production runs (especially with the temperature or pressure difference methods), provided the freeze drier possesses at least shelf inlet/outlet temperature measurement and/or chamber and condenser capacitance pressure measurement. Furthermore, the measurement encompasses all vials, which is not achievable using the conventional method for commercial units that contain tens of thousands of vials. Once fed back into the primary drying mechanistic model, the Kv distribution is used to estimate the temperature distribution in the product. In this article, we provide practical examples at all scales, from laboratory to industrial production.