Thermal Flow Research Articles

Topology optimization of regenerative cooling structures under high Reynolds number flow with variable thermo-physical properties

In the design of thermal protection system for hypersonic vehicles, the efficient convective heat transfer within regenerative cooling channels plays a critical role in maintaining their thermal performance. This study focuses on the topology optimization (TO) of the cooling channels that operate at high Reynolds number and have variable thermo-physical properties. A novel approach is introduced to enhance the density-based method by incorporating an effective artificial force correction and tabulating the temperature-dependent thermal properties. Several topology-optimized cooling layouts were generated to minimize the maximum temperature within the design domain while considering different power dissipation constraints. This confirms the validity of the proposed lumped correction term in momentum equation accounting both viscous and convective body forces. Regarding the thermal performance of the optimized layouts, the staggered arrangement of cellular ribs in the TO channel was found to induce multiple flow separations and promote turbulent mixing, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency and mitigating the thermal acceleration effect. Conjugate heat transfer calculations revealed that the optimal topology-optimized channel achieved a 24.3% improvement in overall thermal performance while being 15.3% lighter than the straight channel design. Furthermore, the optimal topology optimized layout consistently outperformed the straight channel design by 6.6% to 24.3% in terms of the overall thermal performance across a wide range of heat flux distribution and mass flow rate conditions. This investigation highlights the effectiveness of topology optimization in designing regenerative cooling structures featuring high Reynolds number hydrocarbon thermal fluid flow.

Indoor thermal environment assessment of a historic building for a thermal and energy retrofit scenario using a CFD model

Research on retrofit scenarios for the energy efficiency of historical buildings is growing. Despite their potential to improve the energy consumption of a building, retrofit scenarios for indoor thermal environments and the thermal comfort of historical buildings has not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, in this study, indoor airflow, heat distribution, and thermal comfort levels of indoor residents were predicted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of historic buildings based on measured values. Although the heating was turned on in the meeting room in winter, heat loss caused by low thermal performance, airtightness, and inflow of cold air caused local thermal discomfort. Individuals seated near the windows had a temperature difference of up to 2.6 °C between the head and ankle levels. Heat loss was identified from the exterior walls and windows, with air infiltration significantly affecting indoor thermal comfort. The airtightness of the window frames of historic buildings was low, thus necessitating related improvement in heat and energy retrofit scenarios. This study propose a suitable approach to resolve this problem.

CMOS-Compatible MEMS 2D Thermal Flow Sensor With High Sensitivity and Low Power Consumption

CMOS-Compatible MEMS 2D Thermal Flow Sensor With High Sensitivity and Low Power Consumption

Optimal operation of a residential energy hub participating in electricity and heat markets

The integration of electricity and heat networks provides significant benefits by enhancing system flexibility and improving overall energy efficiency. Energy hubs play an important role in these interconnected systems, facilitating the production, conversion, and storage of energy across different forms. Potential flexible loads that may exist in an energy hub can further optimize its resource utilization and operational stability. In this respect, this paper addresses the day-ahead energy management of a residential complex modeled as an energy hub, incorporating medium-scale generation and storage units, as well as must-run and flexible loads. We also consider energy hub operator’s energy transactions in power distribution system and district heating and aim to obtain the optimal bidding strategy of this profit-driven agent. The negotiations among the energy hub operator, distribution system operator, and district heat network operator are modeled as a single-leader multi-follower Stackelberg game. A Nash Equilibrium of this game can be obtained by modeling the interactions among players as a bi-level optimization problem. The lower-level problems account for multi-period optimal power flow, modeled as an exact AC optimal power flow, and multi-period optimal thermal flow. The upper-level problem models the energy management of the energy hub. Replacing the lower-level problems with their optimality conditions, the optimal bidding of the energy hub operator can be obtained by solving the resulted mixed-integer linear programming problem as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints. Finally, we numerically evaluate the proposed framework in a case study for a large residential complex participating in a power distribution and a heat network.

Heat transfer augmentation by using different techniques in small scale channels: A review study

In this paper highlights the most significant recent developments in scientific study on Heat sinks are thermal management components made of materials with sufficient thermal conductivity qualities. Due to the increase in operating power and speed as well as the general reduction in system size, the issues of heat removal and temperature management have taken on increasing importance in these studies. Changing the geometry of extended surfaces, the material from which they were made, the working fluid that ran over them and or the dimension of the channel, are some of the subcategories in which studies have been conducted. The current review addresses the main recent findings in the forced convection heat transfer happened at laminar flow inside small scale diameters channels. The recent studies indicated a remarkable enhancement with the change of Re, D and internal geometry of channel. The configuration of flow passages also adopted as a different passive technique to enhance thermal fluid flow.

Time evolution and thermal renormalization group flow in cosmology

Time-evolution of the Universe as described by the Friedmann equation can be coupled to equations of motion of matter fields. Quantum effects may be incorporated to improve these classical equations of motion by the renormalization group (RG) running of their couplings. Since temporal and thermal evolutions are linked to each other, astrophysical and cosmological treatments based on zero-temperature RG methods require the extension to finite-temperatures. We propose and explore a modification of the usual finite-temperature RG approach by relating the temperature parameter to the running RG scale as T≡kT=τk (in natural units), where kT is acting as a running cutoff for thermal fluctuations and the momentum k can be used for the quantum fluctuations. In this approach, the temperature of the expanding universe is related to the dimensionless quantity τ (and not to kT). We show that by this choice dimensionless RG flow equations have no explicit k-dependence, as it is convenient. We also discuss how this modified thermal RG is used to handle high-energy divergences of the RG running of the cosmological constant and to “solve the triviality” of the ϕ4 model by a thermal phase transition in terms of τ in d=4 Euclidean dimensions.

Experimental Study on the Thermal Behavior Characteristics of the Oxidative Spontaneous Combustion Process of Fischer–Tropsch Wax Residue

Coal-to-liquid technology is a key technology to ensuring national energy security, with the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis process at its core. However, in actual production, Fischer–Tropsch wax residue exhibits the characteristics of spontaneous combustion due to heat accumulation, posing a fire hazard when exposed to air for extended periods. This significantly threatens the safe production operations of coal-to-liquid chemical enterprises. This study primarily focuses on the experimental investigation of the oxidative spontaneous combustion process of three typical types of wax residues produced during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to test the thermal flow curves of the three wax residue samples. Kinetic analysis was performed using the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) methods to calculate their apparent activation energy. This study analyzed the thermal behavior characteristics, exothermic properties, and kinetic parameters of three typical wax residue samples, exploring the ease of reaction between wax residues and oxygen and their tendency for spontaneous combustion. The results indicate that Wax Residue 1 is rich in low-carbon chain alkanes and olefins, Wax Residue 2 contains relatively fewer low-carbon chain alkanes and olefins, while Wax Residue 3 primarily consists of high-carbon chain alkanes and olefins. This leads to different thermal behavior characteristics among the three typical wax residue samples, with Wax Residue 1 having the lowest heat release and average apparent activation energy and Wax Residue 3 having the highest heat release and average apparent activation energy. These findings suggest that Wax Residue 1 has a higher tendency for spontaneous combustion. This research provides a scientific basis for the safety management of the coal chemical industry, and further exploration into the storage and handling methods of wax residues could reduce fire risks in the future.

Exceeding the theoretical limit of interfacial evaporation efficiency by using the carbon-based aerogel evaporator with cold evaporation surface

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has shown significant potential in the field of water treatment. Heat loss is still inevitable during the SIE process, since the temperature at the evaporation interface surpasses both the ambient temperature and the temperature of the water below. In this study, we presented a study on an aerogel composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polypyrrole (PPy). The self-aggregation effect of rGO was mitigated through π-π interactions with MWCNTs and PPy, resulting in the formation of a three-dimensional porous structure. This provided the aerogel with a large specific surface area for pollutant adsorption and ample pore volume for photo-induced degradation and photothermal water purification. Using infrared thermography, thermocouples and numerical simulation, it was demonstrated that introducing a cold evaporation surface resulted in thermal flow reversal. This process allowed the evaporator to extract energy from bulk water, thereby enhancing solar evaporation. Due to this gain, under one sun illumination, the aerogel reached an evaporation rate as high as 3.31 kg·m−2·h−1 and achieved an evaporation efficiency of 135.6 %. Simultaneously, the aerogel exhibited a photocatalytic efficiency of over 90 % for various organic pollutants (methylene blue trihydrate, trypan blue and tetracycline hydrochloride). Moreover, it also demonstrated excellent purification ability for combined wastewater, including high-salinity water, seawater and lubricant/water emulsions. Therefore, high-performance interfacial evaporators hold great promise for achieving sustainable wastewater purification and serve as a valuable reference for the development of new solar energy conversion systems.

Research on hydrodynamics of the thermal agent flow for the beet pulp filtration drying

The reuse and recycling of secondary raw materials is essential to ensure sustainable development and the rational use of natural resources. One of the most important types of secondary raw materials is plant-based food waste, which is generated in large quantities at food processing plants, including sugar beet pulp, which is a valuable resource for further use. One of the main problems with using beet pulp is its high moisture content, which is ≈ 80 % wt. It is proposed to dry beet pulp by filtration drying, which is highly efficient. The calculation of industrial equipment for filtration drying should take into account the costs of overcoming the hydraulic resistance of a stationary layer of material. The aim of the article was to study the hydrodynamics of the flow of a thermal agent through a stationary layer of beet pulp of different heights and to perform computer modelling of this process. The obtained results will allow predicting the hydraulic resistance of a material layer of different heights and the required pressure drop to ensure the course of the drying process under various possible technological modes. For computer modelling of the flow of a thermal agent through a stationary layer of beet pulp, the porous media method was used in the ANSYS Fluent 2022 R2 software package. The process was simulated on the basis of the Navier-Stokes system of differential equations and the flow continuity equation with the additional use of the Darcy equation to determine the value of the hydraulic resistance of the layer ΔP. Computer simulations of the hydrodynamics of the thermal agent flow through a stationary layer of beet pulp were performed for the range of stationary layer heights H = 90÷110 mm with an interval of 5 mm. The obtained data showed a relative average deviation of 2.19 % from the experimental data, which indicates a high accuracy of calculations in this range. The study for the extended range of layer heights H = 80÷120 mm with an interval of 10 mm showed an increase in the relative average deviation to 4.09 % from the experimental data, but the results are still sufficiently accurate for practical use in the calculation of drying equipment. The obtained dependencies may be used to determine the value of the hydraulic resistance of a stationary layer of material using the filtration drying method and for practical calculations of drying equipment. Together with the results of the kinetic regularities of filtration drying, the obtained experimental data and computer modelling data on the hydrodynamics of the flow of a heat transfer agent through a material layer will allow us to calculate the optimal parameters of filtration drying for beet pulp and to assess the efficiency of filtration drying for drying beet pulp in comparison with other methods of dehydration.

Thermal Monitoring of an Internal Combustion Engine for Lightweight Fixed-Wing UAV Integrating PSO-Based Modelling with Condition-Based Extended Kalman Filter

The internal combustion engines of long-endurance UAVs are optimized for cruises, so they are prone to overheating during climbs, when power requests increase. To counteract the phenomenon, step-climb maneuvering is typically operated, but the intermittent high-power requests generate repeated heating–cooling cycles, which, over multiple missions, may promote thermal fatigue, performance degradation, and failure. This paper deals with the development of a model-based monitoring of the cylinder head temperature of the two-stroke engine employed in a lightweight fixed-wing long-endurance UAV, which combines a 0D thermal model derived from physical first principles with an extended Kalman filter capable to estimate the head temperature under degraded conditions. The parameters of the dynamic model, referred to as nominal condition, are defined through a particle-swarm optimization, minimizing the mean square temperature error between simulated and experimental flight data (obtaining mean and peak errors lower than 3% and 10%, respectively). The validated model is used in a so-called condition-based extended Kalman filter, which differs from a conventional one for a correction term in section prediction, leveraged as degradation symptom, based on the deviation of the model-state derivative with respect to the actual measurement. The monitoring algorithm, being executable in real-time and capable of identifying incipient degradations of the thermal flow, demonstrates applicability for online diagnostics and predictive maintenance purposes.

Investigation on the creep mechanism of PA6 films based on quasi point defect theory

Polyamide 6 (PA6) films with significant α relaxation process was selected as the model system. The creep behavior and rheological mechanism during deformation in the amorphous regions of semi-crystalline polymers are systematically investigated by carrying out creep experiments. Based on the quasi point defect (QPD) theory, the complete physical process of PA6 film creep behavior from elasticity to viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity was analyzed and modeled from the perspective of structural heterogeneity. The results demonstrate that the creep deformation of PA6 film is a typical thermo-mechanical coupling and nonlinear mechanics process, and potential creep mechanisms corresponds to stress-induced local shear deformation enhancement and thermal activation-induced particle flow diffusion. The elastic-plastic transition involved in the creep deformation process of semi-crystalline polymer originates from the activation of quasi-point defective sites in the amorphous region, the expansion of sheared micro-domains and irreversible fusion. The generalized fractional Kelvin (GFK) model is proposed, and the physical meaning of parameters is explained by combining the quasi point defect theory and creep delay spectrum(L(τ)). Finally, the effectiveness of the GFK model and the QPD theory in studying the deformation behavior of PA6 films was validated by comparing experimental data with theoretical results, which theoretically reveals the structural evolution of PA6 film during creep process.

Influences of Newtonian heating and Darcy's law in micropolar fluid flow over a magnetized stretchable disk: A Bayesian analysis

A laminar two-dimensional magnetized micropolar fluid flow passed through a stretchable surface is examined. The axi-symmetric time-independent thermal flow experienced the impacts of Darcy's law, thermal conductivity, and Newtonian heating. The dimensionalized flow model is governed by similarity transformations. The resulting non-linear flow system is numerically solved through Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF-45) built in scheme. The graphics illustration of velocity and thermal fields for multiple physical parameters is presented. The numerical values at the disk surface for couple stresses, thermal rate, and shear stresses are also calculated. A Bayesian approach is used to assess the association degree amongst the under-study constraints and variables. The magnitude of the microrotational profiles is enhanced by the combined effect of micropolar parameters while an opposite effect is observed in microrotational field against magnetic and porosity parameters. The temperature field is modified through enhancing values of conjugate parameters. Moreover, such thermal field is larger for variable thermal conductivity as assumed to constant fluid property.

Exploring thermal flow dynamics in pressurized water reactors using hybrid graphene nanoplatelet coolants

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of hybrid nanoparticles on the temperature of nuclear reactor coolant, with a focus on graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)‐based hybrid nanoparticles. Sixteen different hybrid nanofluids were analyzed, and their performance was compared with a standard water‐based coolant. The criticality values were obtained through MCNP modeling, revealing that higher nanoparticle ratios led to increased criticality, with the highest value of 1.3239 observed in GNP‐Fe3O4 + Al2O3 nanofluids (0.05 wt%) and the lowest value of 1.2935 in GNP–Fe3O4 + SiO2 nanofluids (0.001 wt%). Temperature variations showed that increasing nanoparticle concentrations resulted in slightly higher temperatures, with a maximum of 611.97 K for 0.05 vol.% GNP nanoparticles. Additionally, the departure from nucleate boiling ratio values were consistently above the safety threshold of 2.08, with the lowest value of 3.657 for GNP–Fe3O4 + SiO2 nanofluids (0.05 vol.%). These findings suggest that hybrid nanofluids, particularly those with higher nanoparticle ratios, can enhance the thermal performance and safety margins of nuclear reactor coolants, offering a promising avenue for future research and application.

Virtual body-fitted grid-based immersed boundary method for simulation of thermal flows with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions

In this work, a virtual body-fitted grid-based immersed boundary method (IBM) combined with the thermal lattice Boltzmann flux solver (TLBFS) is proposed to efficiently simulate thermal flows with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The method involves generating a virtual body-fitted grid along the immersed boundary and implementing the boundary conditions using a fractional step technique. In the prediction step, the finite-volume TLBFS is used to obtain the predicted flow field on the Eulerian mesh without considering the immersed boundary, while in the correction step, the correction process of the flow field is conducted on the virtual grid. Thus, the effect of the boundary is transferred to the fluid domain through the virtual grid indirectly. For Dirichlet boundary conditions, such as the no-slip condition and the specified temperature condition, the velocity and temperature corrections are considered unknowns and solved through a matrix system formed from enforcing the boundary conditions. As for the Neumann boundary condition, such as the specified heat flux condition, the temperatures at virtual layers inside the immersed body are regarded as unknowns and computed from those at virtual layers outside the wall according to the quadratic distribution. Several benchmark cases including natural, forced, and mixed convection problems are well simulated to validate the method. The numerical results are in good agreement with reference data, demonstrating the capacity of the present method to simulate thermal flows with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions while requiring fewer Lagrangian points and achieving higher computational efficiency.

Laser-induced in-situ electrohydrodynamic jet printing of micro/nanoscale hierarchical structure

With the rapid advancement of micro/nanoscale devices, there is a growing demand for hierarchical micro/nano porous-structure, particularly in fields of high-performance sensors, electrochemical energy storage, and photocatalysis. The fabrication methods for hierarchical micro/nano-porous structures have been limited by complex processes and high costs, making further development and application difficult. In this paper, a novel strategy of laser-induced in-situ electrohydrodynamic jet (E-Jet) printing of hierarchical micro/nano-porous structures was proposed. Based on the mechanism of high-energy laser beam induction on the jet, it successfully fabricated hierarchical porous ZnO structures from nanoscale to dozens of microns. The jet size focusing and solidification behavior were analyzed by combining experimental and simulative exploration. The resultant effects of the thermal field, flow field, and laser field on the spatial temperature distribution and the jetting morphology were examined. Furthermore, the laser-induced influence on the morphology of the printed micro/nano-porous ZnO structures was explored. Meanwhile, the performance of micro/nano-porous ZnO photoelectric sensors printed by E-Jet under different laser powers was investigated. The laser-induced in-situ E-Jet printing method provided an innovative pattern for the high-resolution additive manufacturing of hierarchical porous structures, demonstrating its potential for applications in advanced material and high-performance devices.

Convective diffusive thermal flow over an inclined surface with viscous dissipation and aligned magnetic field applications

This investigation incorporating the fluctuation in heat and mass transfer associated to the mixed convection magnetized flow of viscous fluid due to inclined surface with porous media. The contribution of Soret effects and viscous dissipation appliances is addressed. Furthermore, the heat transfer improvement is also assessed by thermal radiation, heat source and joule heating effects. The chemical reaction enrollment is also studied for concentration phenomenon. The convection of problem into non-dimensional framework is based on implication of new variables. The perturbation technique is followed to tracking the analytical outcomes. Physical visualization and interpretation of results under the influence of perturbed parameters have been studied. It is observed that heat and mass transfer enhances due to Soret number. Presence of chemical reaction leads to decrement of concentration profile. Claimed results presents applications in heat and mass transfer processes, chemical reaction, manufacturing systems, chemical engineering, extrusion processes etc.

Study of technical means for heat generation, its application, flow control, and conversion of other types of energy into thermal energy

Abstract The relevance of the study of technical means for the production, management, application, and conversion of heat is conditioned by the rapid development of the energy sector, the global challenges of climate change, and the need for sustainable and efficient solutions for providing thermal energy, in connection with the need for energy efficiency, optimization of resource use, sustainability, and environmental compatibility, as well as technological progress and innovation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the problems associated with technical means for heat generation, identify shortcomings related to the production, use, and management of thermal energy flows, and consider technical devices for converting alternative types of energy into thermal energy to identify recommendations that would allow them to be used more efficiently. The main results of the study were the analysis of technical means and devices in the field of thermal power engineering and alternative energy, the main problems and shortcomings that lead to a decrease in the efficiency of the operation of technical means, heat loss, reduced comfort, and emissions of harmful substances into the environment, which can lead to a negative impact on human health, a decrease in quality, and other environmental problems.

Analysis of thermal behavior and mass transport for manufacturing deep-small hole by ultra-high frequency induction-assisted laser wire deposition

Synchronous ultra-high frequency (UHF) induction-assisted laser deposition is an effective approach to tackle the extreme heat input and common defects that originate from laser direct deposition. The added auxiliary induction heat source can reduce the energy input of the laser heat source which guarantees the geometric integrity of the embedded tube and decreases temperature gradient. Meanwhile, the effective preheating of the induction heat source assures the metallurgical bonding among the substrate, deposited track and embedded tube. Experiments showed that the effective bonding can be formed among substrate-deposited track and deposited track-embedded tube under suitable combination parameters of the laser heat and induction heat. To gain insight into the hybrid deposition, a 3D numerical model coupled with multi-physical fields was established to explore the thermal process and flow behavior with assistance of induction heat. Results indicated that the electromagnetic force produced by induction coil promotes the flow velocity, which increases heat convection. Investigation on the induction heat parameter demonstrated that raising current intensity can accelerate the flow velocity from 0.07 m s-1 to 0.09 m s-1 while the maximum temperature of the molten pool declined from 2610 K to 2440 K owing to the reinforced heat convection. The experimental cross-section of the deposited tracks and the detected element distribution in transition areas are well tested against the numerical simulation results. The grain size in the top region of the deposited track is refined with increasing current intensity, which is experimentally and numerically verified by observed microstructure and G*R value. Meanwhile, the fabricated deposited track with average friction coefficient of 0.445 can be obtained when the laser and induction parameters are 1000 W and 400A, respectively.

Retraction notice: Hydrodynamic and thermal flow in nanochannel to study effects of roughness by estimation the atoms positions via MD method

Retraction notice: Hydrodynamic and thermal flow in nanochannel to study effects of roughness by estimation the atoms positions via MD method

Effects of cross-sectional shape on the low observability of double serpentine nozzles

When unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) egress from the battlefield after attacking the target, the defensive radar systems detect signals reflected by the cavity structure of the nozzle and engine of the UCAVs, threatening their survivability. Infrared (IR) guided missiles can also threaten them by detecting the gaseous plume and hot engine parts. We present a comprehensive investigation of the effects of the cross-sectional shape of double serpentine nozzles on thrust, IR signature, and radar cross section (RCS), which are associated with propulsive performance and low observability. The fillet radius and cross-sectional shape of the nozzles were considered as the main design variables. The thermal flow field was analyzed using the compressible Navier-Stokes equations, while the IR signature was analyzed with the radiative heat transfer equation with a narrow band model. The RCS was calculated using a multi-level fast multipole method of full Maxwell's equations instead of the approximate methods often employed. The double serpentine (DS) nozzle with an elliptical cross-section showed high pressure recovery and a 9.66 % lower IR signature than the DS nozzle with a rectangular cross section. The maximum RCS and mean RCS were lowest for the DS nozzle with an elliptical cross section, with a maximum difference in maximum RCS of 383 % and mean RCS of 90 % compared with the DS nozzle with a rectangular cross section. The DS nozzle with an elliptical cross section distributes the current more evenly across the central part of the engine than the DS nozzle with a rectangular cross section. The DS nozzle with an elliptical cross-section showed excellent nozzle performance with a negligible difference in thrust. In addition, the results show that the cross-sectional shape of the nozzles has different levels of impact on thrust and pressure recovery (negligible), IR signature (limited), and RCS (significant).