Passive Heat Transfer Enhancement in Internal Flows: A Critical Review on the Evolution from Swirl Generators to Programmable Vortex Fields.
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| Title: | Passive Heat Transfer Enhancement in Internal Flows: A Critical Review on the Evolution from Swirl Generators to Programmable Vortex Fields. |
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| Authors: | Tang, Yufeng1 (AUTHOR), Che, Cuicui2 (AUTHOR), Guo, Pengjiang3 (AUTHOR) guopengjiang@sdut.edu.cn |
| Source: | Energies (19961073). Mar2026, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p1318. 36p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Vortex generators, *Vortex methods, *Artificial intelligence, *Energy transfer, *Heat convection, *Smart materials, *Internal flows (Fluid mechanics) |
| Abstract: | Featured Application: This review provides critical insights and a forward-looking perspective for engineers and researchers developing high-efficiency thermal systems across diverse fields, including industrial process heating/cooling, electronics thermal management, renewable energy, and compact heat exchangers, guiding the selection and design of next-generation passive enhancement strategies from traditional inserts to programmable vortex fields enabled by smart materials and AI. This review critically analyzes the evolution of passive heat transfer enhancement in internal flows, charting a paradigm shift from momentum-based flow perturbation to the precise engineering of vortex structures. The central thesis is that the highest-performance, next-generation thermal systems will be realized through 'flow field programming'—a unified design paradigm that intelligently architects vortex-topology and surface architecture across scales using smart materials, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. This progression is traced from classical devices such as twisted tapes, which generate global swirl, to bio-inspired aerofoil inserts that efficiently produce discrete longitudinal vortices. The synergy achieved in compound systems—through the integration of geometries or the combination of inserts with advanced fluids—is identified as a key mechanism for surpassing traditional performance limits. Furthermore, applications in microscale and phase-change heat transfer, where surface engineering dominates, are explored. The novelty of this work lies in its synthesis of the underlying vortex-generation physics across diverse techniques and scales, introducing 'flow field programming' as a forward-looking framework for adaptive thermal management. This evolution—from static geometries to intelligent, responsive designs—is positioned to dramatically improve energy sustainability by enabling more compact, efficient, and adaptive thermal management across power generation, advanced electronics, and renewable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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| Abstract: | Featured Application: This review provides critical insights and a forward-looking perspective for engineers and researchers developing high-efficiency thermal systems across diverse fields, including industrial process heating/cooling, electronics thermal management, renewable energy, and compact heat exchangers, guiding the selection and design of next-generation passive enhancement strategies from traditional inserts to programmable vortex fields enabled by smart materials and AI. This review critically analyzes the evolution of passive heat transfer enhancement in internal flows, charting a paradigm shift from momentum-based flow perturbation to the precise engineering of vortex structures. The central thesis is that the highest-performance, next-generation thermal systems will be realized through 'flow field programming'—a unified design paradigm that intelligently architects vortex-topology and surface architecture across scales using smart materials, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. This progression is traced from classical devices such as twisted tapes, which generate global swirl, to bio-inspired aerofoil inserts that efficiently produce discrete longitudinal vortices. The synergy achieved in compound systems—through the integration of geometries or the combination of inserts with advanced fluids—is identified as a key mechanism for surpassing traditional performance limits. Furthermore, applications in microscale and phase-change heat transfer, where surface engineering dominates, are explored. The novelty of this work lies in its synthesis of the underlying vortex-generation physics across diverse techniques and scales, introducing 'flow field programming' as a forward-looking framework for adaptive thermal management. This evolution—from static geometries to intelligent, responsive designs—is positioned to dramatically improve energy sustainability by enabling more compact, efficient, and adaptive thermal management across power generation, advanced electronics, and renewable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 19961073 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/en19051318 |
