Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110619
Ying Yin , Zhimin Wang , Siyuan Ma , Yan Li , Liang Gong
As a key component of three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D-ICs), through‑silicon vias (TSVs) located between vertically stacked chips greatly affect interlayer electrical signal transmission efficiency, thermal stability, and system cooling performance. To ensure optimal electrical and thermal performance, this study combines the signal integrity benefits of ground-signal-ground (GSG) coaxial shielding TSV with the enhanced heat dissipation of an open annular pin-fin design, proposing a novel coaxial open annular TSV (COA-TSV) pin-fin structure. Based on this structure, we systematically investigate its thermal stress distribution under cyclic thermal loading, evaluate signal integrity at different frequencies, and analyze the effects of pin-fin arrangement (inline and staggered) and operating conditions on flow and heat transfer within the embedded interlayer microchannel. Besides, we conduct a comprehensive comparison between the proposed COA-TSV and the conventional cylindrical TSV (C-TSV) for the aforementioned performance metrics. Results show that the maximum thermal stress in the COA-TSV is concentrated at the interface between the interconnect and chip layers, with a smaller variation amplitude than that of the conventional C-TSV. While both TSVs exhibit increased insertion loss with rising signal frequency, the degradation is significantly greater in the C-TSV. Furthermore, the interlayer microchannel with COA-TSV pin-fins achieves the highest performance evaluation criterion across Reynolds numbers (Re = 200–998), confirming its superior thermo-hydraulic performance. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing TSV structures and achieving efficient thermal management in 3D-ICs.
{"title":"A novel coaxial open annular TSV pin-fin embedded in microchannels to comprehensively improve the thermal stability, signal integrity, and heat transfer of 3D integrated circuits","authors":"Ying Yin , Zhimin Wang , Siyuan Ma , Yan Li , Liang Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a key component of three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D-ICs), through‑silicon vias (TSVs) located between vertically stacked chips greatly affect interlayer electrical signal transmission efficiency, thermal stability, and system cooling performance. To ensure optimal electrical and thermal performance, this study combines the signal integrity benefits of ground-signal-ground (GSG) coaxial shielding TSV with the enhanced heat dissipation of an open annular pin-fin design, proposing a novel coaxial open annular TSV (COA-TSV) pin-fin structure. Based on this structure, we systematically investigate its thermal stress distribution under cyclic thermal loading, evaluate signal integrity at different frequencies, and analyze the effects of pin-fin arrangement (inline and staggered) and operating conditions on flow and heat transfer within the embedded interlayer microchannel. Besides, we conduct a comprehensive comparison between the proposed COA-TSV and the conventional cylindrical TSV (C-TSV) for the aforementioned performance metrics. Results show that the maximum thermal stress in the COA-TSV is concentrated at the interface between the interconnect and chip layers, with a smaller variation amplitude than that of the conventional C-TSV. While both TSVs exhibit increased insertion loss with rising signal frequency, the degradation is significantly greater in the C-TSV. Furthermore, the interlayer microchannel with COA-TSV pin-fins achieves the highest performance evaluation criterion across Reynolds numbers (<em>Re</em> = 200–998), confirming its superior thermo-hydraulic performance. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing TSV structures and achieving efficient thermal management in 3D-ICs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110619"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110635
E. Ragulkumar , K. Suresh , Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss
This work quantitatively examines natural convection heat transfer from heated and cooled truncated cones submerged in Newtonian fluids (air and water). A finite-volume computational fluid dynamics method was used using ANSYS CFX 17.0, solving the governing continuity, momentum, and energy equations under the Boussinesq approximation. The computational domain was discretized with enhanced boundary-layer resolution, and a steady-state convergence criteria of 10−5 was established for all governing equations. The correctness of the model was confirmed using recognized benchmark data for truncated-cone convection, demonstrating excellent agreement. The research methodically assesses the impact of several truncation levels (25%, 50%, and 75%) on the strength of buoyancy-driven flow, isotherm development, and thermal efficiency. The findings indicate that water routinely yields Nusselt numbers that are 30–40% more than those of air, attributable to its enhanced thermophysical characteristics, while simultaneously demonstrating 25–35% elevated skin friction owing to its higher viscosity and density. The 25% truncation resulted in the most pronounced thermal gradients, the swiftest upward flow, and the greatest heat transfer rates, enhancing average Nusselt number by roughly 28% compared to the whole cone [24]. The thermal boundary layer in water is substantially thinner, resulting in higher buoyant forces. Flow separation zones and reattachment sites are highly correlated with the observed double-peak structure in local Nusselt profiles. Skin-friction patterns clearly differentiate areas of flow acceleration, thinning boundary layers, and post-separation stability. Truncation geometry has a direct impact on the strength of natural convection currents, which affects both heat removal capabilities and fluid-surface contact. The study quantifies the influence of fluid thermophysical properties and truncation geometry on convective performance, providing essential guidelines for the design of aerospace thermal components, solar collectors, geothermal systems, industrial chimneys, and other applications requiring optimized natural convection.
{"title":"Thermal behaviour of a truncated cone immersed in Newtonian liquids with free convective flow","authors":"E. Ragulkumar , K. Suresh , Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work quantitatively examines natural convection heat transfer from heated and cooled truncated cones submerged in Newtonian fluids (air and water). A finite-volume computational fluid dynamics method was used using ANSYS CFX 17.0, solving the governing continuity, momentum, and energy equations under the Boussinesq approximation. The computational domain was discretized with enhanced boundary-layer resolution, and a steady-state convergence criteria of 10<sup>−5</sup> was established for all governing equations. The correctness of the model was confirmed using recognized benchmark data for truncated-cone convection, demonstrating excellent agreement. The research methodically assesses the impact of several truncation levels (25%, 50%, and 75%) on the strength of buoyancy-driven flow, isotherm development, and thermal efficiency. The findings indicate that water routinely yields Nusselt numbers that are 30–40% more than those of air, attributable to its enhanced thermophysical characteristics, while simultaneously demonstrating 25–35% elevated skin friction owing to its higher viscosity and density. The 25% truncation resulted in the most pronounced thermal gradients, the swiftest upward flow, and the greatest heat transfer rates, enhancing average Nusselt number by roughly 28% compared to the whole cone <span><span>[24]</span></span>. The thermal boundary layer in water is substantially thinner, resulting in higher buoyant forces. Flow separation zones and reattachment sites are highly correlated with the observed double-peak structure in local Nusselt profiles. Skin-friction patterns clearly differentiate areas of flow acceleration, thinning boundary layers, and post-separation stability. Truncation geometry has a direct impact on the strength of natural convection currents, which affects both heat removal capabilities and fluid-surface contact. The study quantifies the influence of fluid thermophysical properties and truncation geometry on convective performance, providing essential guidelines for the design of aerospace thermal components, solar collectors, geothermal systems, industrial chimneys, and other applications requiring optimized natural convection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110635"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110612
Shaolin Gan, Hong Wei, Yingqing Zu
Average cooling effectiveness and uniformity are key indicators for evaluating film cooling performance. The shape and cross-sectional area of film cooling holes exert a direct influence on this performance. This study focuses on the optimization of film cooling hole shapes with same cross-sectional areas, based on closed B-spline curves. A Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) is employed as a surrogate model to rapidly and directly predict the cooling effectiveness distribution downstream of the film cooling holes. Taking the average cooling effectiveness and its standard deviation as the optimization objectives, a multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) is applied to obtain the Pareto-optimal solution set. Four representative optimized hole shapes are obtained. The results show that, compared to the cylindrical hole, optimized holes 1 and 2 enhance the average cooling effectiveness by 96.2% and 85.4% respectively. In terms of average film-cooling effectiveness, optimized holes 1 and 2 also exhibit significant advantages over cusp-shaped hole. Optimized holes 3 and 4 outperform cylindrical hole in both the average film-cooling effectiveness and its standard deviation. To assess comprehensive performance, we also evaluated the stress concentration factors, discharge coefficients, and total pressure loss coefficients of different holes. Optimized hole 1, optimized hole 2, and cusp-shaped holes all exhibit relatively low stress concentration factors, total pressure loss coefficients, and discharge coefficients. Moreover, optimized hole 1 exhibits the highest cooling effectiveness, along with the lowest stress concentration factor and total pressure loss coefficient.
{"title":"CGAN-based optimization of B-spline hole shapes under constant cross-section area constraint for enhanced film cooling","authors":"Shaolin Gan, Hong Wei, Yingqing Zu","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Average cooling effectiveness and uniformity are key indicators for evaluating film cooling performance. The shape and cross-sectional area of film cooling holes exert a direct influence on this performance. This study focuses on the optimization of film cooling hole shapes with same cross-sectional areas, based on closed B-spline curves. A Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) is employed as a surrogate model to rapidly and directly predict the cooling effectiveness distribution downstream of the film cooling holes. Taking the average cooling effectiveness and its standard deviation as the optimization objectives, a multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) is applied to obtain the Pareto-optimal solution set. Four representative optimized hole shapes are obtained. The results show that, compared to the cylindrical hole, optimized holes 1 and 2 enhance the average cooling effectiveness by 96.2% and 85.4% respectively. In terms of average film-cooling effectiveness, optimized holes 1 and 2 also exhibit significant advantages over cusp-shaped hole. Optimized holes 3 and 4 outperform cylindrical hole in both the average film-cooling effectiveness and its standard deviation. To assess comprehensive performance, we also evaluated the stress concentration factors, discharge coefficients, and total pressure loss coefficients of different holes. Optimized hole 1, optimized hole 2, and cusp-shaped holes all exhibit relatively low stress concentration factors, total pressure loss coefficients, and discharge coefficients. Moreover, optimized hole 1 exhibits the highest cooling effectiveness, along with the lowest stress concentration factor and total pressure loss coefficient.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110612"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The present study deals with a multifaceted approach to heat transfer in phase-change materials (PCM), focusing on melting - solidification full cycle of n-Eicosane, and applying a varying range of thermal conditions relevant to space applications. Special attention is given to the thermocapillary effect, or Marangoni convection, as it plays a critical role in the heat transfer process of PCMs under microgravity conditions. The domain proposed for the present paper is modeled having the upper surface exposed to air and the range of varying boundary conditions are imposed on the end walls. This numerical study on n-Eicosane complements our previous work [7], which focused on gallium. The most efficient scenario involves reversing the temperature between the cold and hot walls at key timesteps, prior to full melting or thermal equilibrium is achieved. The results show that by using a sufficient number of boundary condition switches at short time interval between them can significantly enhance the heat transfer rate, which is crucial for spacecraft applications.
{"title":"Timely melting - Solidification cycles for optimizing the PCM efficiency in space","authors":"Homayoun Badfar , Diana C. Dubert , Jaume Massons , Josefina Gavaldà , Mounir M. Bou-Ali , Xavier Ruiz , Valentina Shevtsova","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study deals with a multifaceted approach to heat transfer in phase-change materials (PCM), focusing on melting - solidification full cycle of <em>n-Eicosane</em>, and applying a varying range of thermal conditions relevant to space applications. Special attention is given to the thermocapillary effect, or Marangoni convection, as it plays a critical role in the heat transfer process of PCMs under microgravity conditions. The domain proposed for the present paper is modeled having the upper surface exposed to air and the range of varying boundary conditions are imposed on the end walls. This numerical study on <em>n-Eicosane</em> complements our previous work [7], which focused on gallium. The most efficient scenario involves reversing the temperature between the cold and hot walls at key timesteps, prior to full melting or thermal equilibrium is achieved. The results show that by using a sufficient number of boundary condition switches at short time interval between them can significantly enhance the heat transfer rate, which is crucial for spacecraft applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110625"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110591
Joy Djuansjah , Mohamed M. Younes , Abanob Joseph , Mohamed Abdelgaied , Sabbah Ataya , Sung-Hwan Jang , Swellam W. Sharshir
This work studied the performance of the hanging wick tubular solar still (TSS) using three experimental configurations. In Case 1, the system was tested using a heat pump and an evacuated tube water heater. Case-2 added cover cooling to the prior configuration. In Case-3, a reflector was added to the previous configuration. The modified TSS's performance was compared to that of the reference TSS (CSS) using three different test sets performed under same atmospheric conditions. The results revealed that the daily production for TSS (Case-1), TSS (Case-2), and TSS (Case-3) was 14.88, 16.28, and 19.27 L/m2, respectively. Additionally, employing cover cooling or reflector increased TSS output by 21% and 105%, respectively. Consequently, the tested adjustments to the TSS demonstrated a considerable improvement in both productivity and efficiency, making them highly effective enhancements for boosting TSS performance, with productivity reaching nearly 20 L/m2. day. The freshwater produced via TSS (Case-3) cost was 0.0169 $/L which decreased by 27.8% compared to CSS and reduced carbon emissions by 8.47 tons CO₂, saving $122.75.
{"title":"Thermal performance improvement of solar desalination system integrated with a heat pump, evacuated tube, hanging wick, reflector, and cover cooling","authors":"Joy Djuansjah , Mohamed M. Younes , Abanob Joseph , Mohamed Abdelgaied , Sabbah Ataya , Sung-Hwan Jang , Swellam W. Sharshir","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work studied the performance of the hanging wick tubular solar still (TSS) using three experimental configurations. In Case 1, the system was tested using a heat pump and an evacuated tube water heater. Case-2 added cover cooling to the prior configuration. In Case-3, a reflector was added to the previous configuration. The modified TSS's performance was compared to that of the reference TSS (CSS) using three different test sets performed under same atmospheric conditions. The results revealed that the daily production for TSS (Case-1), TSS (Case-2), and TSS (Case-3) was 14.88, 16.28, and 19.27 L/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively. Additionally, employing cover cooling or reflector increased TSS output by 21% and 105%, respectively. Consequently, the tested adjustments to the TSS demonstrated a considerable improvement in both productivity and efficiency, making them highly effective enhancements for boosting TSS performance, with productivity reaching nearly 20 L/m<sup>2</sup>. day. The freshwater produced via TSS (Case-3) cost was 0.0169 $/L which decreased by 27.8% compared to CSS and reduced carbon emissions by 8.47 tons CO₂, saving $122.75.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110591"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Calendering is a crucial step in lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode manufacturing, as it strongly influences electrode microstructure, mechanical integrity, and electrochemical behavior. This study introduces an innovative induction heating-assisted calendering (IHAC) technique that enables non-contact, directional heating of the current collector, allowing precise thermal control and microstructural tailoring during compaction. The effects of IHAC on the thickness, morphology, interfacial adhesion, and impedance of LiFePO4 electrodes were systematically investigated, and the processed electrodes were further evaluated electrochemically. Discrete element simulations revealed that IHAC produces a surface porosity of 36.5% and an internal porosity of 27.3%, corresponding to a 36.7% enhancement in surface porosity compared with conventional calendering. This graded pore structure was validated by scanning electron microscopy. Within the temperature range of 25–130 °C, IHAC substantially improved electrode properties and electrochemical performance. At an optimal temperature of 70 °C, the IHAC-processed electrode exhibited a thickness of 189.8 μm, a peel force of 13.3 N m−1, a resistance of 7.41 Ω·cm, a 2C discharge capacity of 142.4 mAh/g, and a cycle life of 267 cycles at 90% capacity retention. In comparison, the HC electrode under the same condition measured 189 μm, 12.2 N m−1, 7.33 Ω·cm, 139.8 mAh/g, and 251 cycles. Moreover, relative to conventional calendering at 25 °C, the IHAC-processed electrode achieved a 1.65% reduction in thickness, a 26.7% improvement in adhesion, a 7.7% decrease in resistance, a 2% increase in 2C discharge capacity, and a 40% extension in cycle life. These improvements arise from a “hot-core/cold-surface” thermal gradient that induces plastic deformation in the electrode interior while maintaining surface elasticity. Upon cooling, a functionally graded microstructure forms, featuring a porous surface and dense core, which enhances both energy and power performance. These findings highlight the critical role of thermal gradient directionality in determining electrode architecture and demonstrate IHAC as a promising pathway for the synergistic enhancement of volumetric energy and power density in LIBs. Owing to its non-contact operation, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, IHAC offers a practical and scalable solution for advanced battery manufacturing and contributes a new approach to more sustainable battery production globally.
压延是锂离子电池(LIB)电极制造的关键步骤,因为它强烈影响电极的微观结构、机械完整性和电化学行为。本研究介绍了一种创新的感应加热辅助压延(IHAC)技术,该技术可以实现电流集电极的非接触式定向加热,从而在压实过程中实现精确的热控制和微结构定制。系统地研究了IHAC对LiFePO4电极厚度、形貌、界面粘附力和阻抗的影响,并对制备的电极进行了进一步的电化学评价。离散元模拟显示,IHAC的表面孔隙度为36.5%,内部孔隙度为27.3%,与常规压延相比,表面孔隙度提高了36.7%。通过扫描电镜验证了这种分级孔隙结构。在25-130℃的温度范围内,IHAC显著改善了电极性能和电化学性能。在70°C的最佳温度下,ihac电极的厚度为189.8 μm,剥离力为13.3 N m−1,电阻为7.41 Ω·cm, 2C放电容量为142.4 mAh/g,循环寿命为267次,容量保持率为90%。在相同条件下,HC电极的放电强度为189 μm, 12.2 N m−1,7.33 Ω·cm, 139.8 mAh/g,循环次数为251次。此外,与传统的25°C压延工艺相比,ihac加工的电极厚度减少了1.65%,附着力提高了26.7%,电阻降低了7.7%,2C放电容量增加了2%,循环寿命延长了40%。这些改进源于“热芯/冷表面”热梯度,该梯度在保持表面弹性的同时诱导电极内部的塑性变形。冷却后,形成一个功能梯度的微观结构,具有多孔的表面和致密的核心,提高了能量和功率性能。这些发现强调了热梯度方向性在决定电极结构中的关键作用,并证明IHAC是lib中协同增强体积能量和功率密度的有希望的途径。由于其非接触式操作、高效率和成本效益,IHAC为先进电池制造提供了实用且可扩展的解决方案,并为全球更可持续的电池生产提供了新途径。
{"title":"Synergistic enhancement of battery volumetric energy and power density via induction heating-assisted calendering","authors":"Shaohai Dong, Yuhang Lyu, Weiwei Zhu, Zhan-Sheng Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Calendering is a crucial step in lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode manufacturing, as it strongly influences electrode microstructure, mechanical integrity, and electrochemical behavior. This study introduces an innovative induction heating-assisted calendering (IHAC) technique that enables non-contact, directional heating of the current collector, allowing precise thermal control and microstructural tailoring during compaction. The effects of IHAC on the thickness, morphology, interfacial adhesion, and impedance of LiFePO<sub>4</sub> electrodes were systematically investigated, and the processed electrodes were further evaluated electrochemically. Discrete element simulations revealed that IHAC produces a surface porosity of 36.5% and an internal porosity of 27.3%, corresponding to a 36.7% enhancement in surface porosity compared with conventional calendering. This graded pore structure was validated by scanning electron microscopy. Within the temperature range of 25–130 °C, IHAC substantially improved electrode properties and electrochemical performance. At an optimal temperature of 70 °C, the IHAC-processed electrode exhibited a thickness of 189.8 μm, a peel force of 13.3 N m<sup>−1</sup>, a resistance of 7.41 Ω·cm, a 2C discharge capacity of 142.4 mAh/g, and a cycle life of 267 cycles at 90% capacity retention. In comparison, the HC electrode under the same condition measured 189 μm, 12.2 N m<sup>−1</sup>, 7.33 Ω·cm, 139.8 mAh/g, and 251 cycles. Moreover, relative to conventional calendering at 25 °C, the IHAC-processed electrode achieved a 1.65% reduction in thickness, a 26.7% improvement in adhesion, a 7.7% decrease in resistance, a 2% increase in 2C discharge capacity, and a 40% extension in cycle life. These improvements arise from a “hot-core/cold-surface” thermal gradient that induces plastic deformation in the electrode interior while maintaining surface elasticity. Upon cooling, a functionally graded microstructure forms, featuring a porous surface and dense core, which enhances both energy and power performance. These findings highlight the critical role of thermal gradient directionality in determining electrode architecture and demonstrate IHAC as a promising pathway for the synergistic enhancement of volumetric energy and power density in LIBs. Owing to its non-contact operation, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, IHAC offers a practical and scalable solution for advanced battery manufacturing and contributes a new approach to more sustainable battery production globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110639"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110626
Youqi Zhang , Xiaopeng Zhang , Gaohong He , Junjiang Bao , Ning Zhang
Reverse electrodialysis heat engines (REDHEs) are promising for harvesting low-grade thermal energy, yet conventional salt aqueous solutions as working fluids perform poorly below 100 °C, reducing exergy efficiency. Efficient recovery from low-grade thermal energy therefore requires a solvent with a low boiling point and facile ion transport. Methanol meets these criteria, making it a strong candidate for high-performance REDHEs. However, current membranes are optimized for water-based reverse electrodialysis, where hydrated ions deliver osmotic energy. In methanol systems, customized membranes are needed to accommodate methanol-solvated ions and enable efficient energy conversion. To this end, we investigated the structure and dynamics of methanol-solvated ions using molecular dynamics simulations, providing fundamental insights into solvent-ion interactions relevant to REDHEs design. In this study, LiCl-methanol solution was used as a working fluid and graphene nanosheets with nanopores in varying diameters as selective membranes. Ion transport driven by salinity gradients was investigated. As pore size increased from 0.89 to 1.87 nm, ion flux rate rose sharply. Li+ flux rate increased from negligible levels to 3.727 × 105 mol·m−2·h−1, while Cl− flux rate reached 5.760 × 105 mol·m−2·h−1, demonstrating strong size-dependent transport. When nanopore diameters approached the second solvation shell, methanol desolvation was required, reducing permeability and increasing the energy barrier. These results provide clear evidence that the size-exclusion effect of graphene nanopores critically governs ion transport. The study confirms the feasibility of LiCl-methanol solutions as a working fluid and highlights nanopore size as a key determinant of ions selectivity and permeability, offering insights for designing next-generation membranes for high-efficiency REDHEs.
{"title":"Impact of methanol solvation on Li+/Cl- transport through graphene nanopores","authors":"Youqi Zhang , Xiaopeng Zhang , Gaohong He , Junjiang Bao , Ning Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reverse electrodialysis heat engines (REDHEs) are promising for harvesting low-grade thermal energy, yet conventional salt aqueous solutions as working fluids perform poorly below 100 °C, reducing exergy efficiency. Efficient recovery from low-grade thermal energy therefore requires a solvent with a low boiling point and facile ion transport. Methanol meets these criteria, making it a strong candidate for high-performance REDHEs. However, current membranes are optimized for water-based reverse electrodialysis, where hydrated ions deliver osmotic energy. In methanol systems, customized membranes are needed to accommodate methanol-solvated ions and enable efficient energy conversion. To this end, we investigated the structure and dynamics of methanol-solvated ions using molecular dynamics simulations, providing fundamental insights into solvent-ion interactions relevant to REDHEs design. In this study, LiCl-methanol solution was used as a working fluid and graphene nanosheets with nanopores in varying diameters as selective membranes. Ion transport driven by salinity gradients was investigated. As pore size increased from 0.89 to 1.87 nm, ion flux rate rose sharply. Li<sup>+</sup> flux rate increased from negligible levels to 3.727 × 10<sup>5</sup> mol·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, while Cl<sup>−</sup> flux rate reached 5.760 × 10<sup>5</sup> mol·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, demonstrating strong size-dependent transport. When nanopore diameters approached the second solvation shell, methanol desolvation was required, reducing permeability and increasing the energy barrier. These results provide clear evidence that the size-exclusion effect of graphene nanopores critically governs ion transport. The study confirms the feasibility of LiCl-methanol solutions as a working fluid and highlights nanopore size as a key determinant of ions selectivity and permeability, offering insights for designing next-generation membranes for high-efficiency REDHEs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110626"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigates steady magnetohydrodynamic micropolar fluid flow over a linearly stretching surface embedded in a porous medium, incorporating Hall current effects, Brownian motion, thermophoresis, and bioconvection due to motile microorganisms. The model also includes thermal radiation and internal heat generation or absorption, along with nonlinear chemical reaction, to analyse their effects on thermal field. The corresponding dimensionless parameters are used to evaluate the impact of the physical phenomenon under consideration. A notable influence of the micropolar effects, porosity, and radiation is observed on velocity, temperature, and microrotation, highlighting their applicability to porous and bioconvective transport systems. Additionally, an artificial neural network (ANN) framework is employed to assess predictive capability. The results are validated with the numerical results, demonstrating an excellent agreement. The combined numerical-ANN approach provides an efficient way to optimize the heat transfer characteristics in thermal engineering applications.
{"title":"Neural network approach to MHD micropolar bioconvective flow under hall and thermal radiation effects in porous media","authors":"Vimal K. Joshi , Gunisetty Ramasekhar , Laltesh Kumar , Salman Saleem , Kushal Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates steady magnetohydrodynamic micropolar fluid flow over a linearly stretching surface embedded in a porous medium, incorporating Hall current effects, Brownian motion, thermophoresis, and bioconvection due to motile microorganisms. The model also includes thermal radiation and internal heat generation or absorption, along with nonlinear chemical reaction, to analyse their effects on thermal field. The corresponding dimensionless parameters are used to evaluate the impact of the physical phenomenon under consideration. A notable influence of the micropolar effects, porosity, and radiation is observed on velocity, temperature, and microrotation, highlighting their applicability to porous and bioconvective transport systems. Additionally, an artificial neural network (ANN) framework is employed to assess predictive capability. The results are validated with the numerical results, demonstrating an excellent agreement. The combined numerical-ANN approach provides an efficient way to optimize the heat transfer characteristics in thermal engineering applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110599"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110553
Yang He , Huiming Bao , Yunzhi Liu, Yayun Zhang, Jinghui Peng, Songjing Li
This study investigates a single-stage gas cannon launcher incorporating a convergent–divergent Laval tube designed to reshape pressure waves and enhance energy conversion efficiency. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, validated experimentally, was developed to simulate the transient pressure-wave propagation and resulting projectile dynamics. Results indicate that routing the high-pressure gas through the Laval tube increases projectile kinetic energy at the muzzle exit by over 12% relative to a straight-chamber configuration at matched charge and geometry. Under zero-clearance launch, where the gas hits the base of the projectile, a second shock from the tube slows the loss of acceleration and adds over 3% more energy. Bench-scale firing experiments confirmed the numerical predictions and demonstrated the clear energetic advantage of the Laval tube configuration. In addition, the effective operating pressure range and optimal Laval tube geometry were identified. These findings provide guidance for enhancing energy conversion efficiency and potentially reducing the required charge in gas cannon systems.
{"title":"Numerical and experimental evaluation of energy conversion efficiency and muzzle kinetic energy in a Laval tube gas cannon","authors":"Yang He , Huiming Bao , Yunzhi Liu, Yayun Zhang, Jinghui Peng, Songjing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates a single-stage gas cannon launcher incorporating a convergent–divergent Laval tube designed to reshape pressure waves and enhance energy conversion efficiency. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, validated experimentally, was developed to simulate the transient pressure-wave propagation and resulting projectile dynamics. Results indicate that routing the high-pressure gas through the Laval tube increases projectile kinetic energy at the muzzle exit by over 12% relative to a straight-chamber configuration at matched charge and geometry. Under zero-clearance launch, where the gas hits the base of the projectile, a second shock from the tube slows the loss of acceleration and adds over 3% more energy. Bench-scale firing experiments confirmed the numerical predictions and demonstrated the clear energetic advantage of the Laval tube configuration. In addition, the effective operating pressure range and optimal Laval tube geometry were identified. These findings provide guidance for enhancing energy conversion efficiency and potentially reducing the required charge in gas cannon systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110553"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110597
Hongwei Zhan, Zhidong Chen, Shuyuan Wang, Wencheng Chen, Jing zhang, Shuting Li, Lei Chen, Yanqiang Kong, Lijun Yang, Xiaoze Du
Improving electrochemical performance while maintaining thermally stable operation is a critical challenge in the design of flow fields for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). In this paper, a hexagonal honeycomb-like geometric-gradient flow field (HLGFF) is proposed and numerically investigated as an evolution of the conventional honeycomb-like design. The proposed HLGFF is designed to mitigate under-rib mass transfer limitations and gas accumulation by redirecting part of the in-plane flow momentum toward the through-plane direction, thereby enhancing reactant supply and gas removal near the reaction interface. A three-dimensional, two-phase, non-isothermal multiphysics model is developed and experimentally validated using a parallel flow field configuration. Numerical results indicate that the HLGFF significantly enhances mass transport and electrochemical performance, achieving a maximum current density increase of 17.72% at the same operating voltage compared with conventional flow field designs. Despite operating at higher current densities and increased heat generation, the HLGFF maintains a well-controlled temperature distribution comparable to reference configurations, reflecting effective flow-field-induced heat redistribution. These results demonstrate that the proposed design achieves a favorable balance between electrochemical performance enhancement and thermal stability, offering a promising flow field strategy for high-performance PEMWE applications.
{"title":"A novel hexagonal honeycomb-like geometric-gradient flow field for PEM water electrolyzers","authors":"Hongwei Zhan, Zhidong Chen, Shuyuan Wang, Wencheng Chen, Jing zhang, Shuting Li, Lei Chen, Yanqiang Kong, Lijun Yang, Xiaoze Du","doi":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2026.110597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving electrochemical performance while maintaining thermally stable operation is a critical challenge in the design of flow fields for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). In this paper, a hexagonal honeycomb-like geometric-gradient flow field (HLGFF) is proposed and numerically investigated as an evolution of the conventional honeycomb-like design. The proposed HLGFF is designed to mitigate under-rib mass transfer limitations and gas accumulation by redirecting part of the in-plane flow momentum toward the through-plane direction, thereby enhancing reactant supply and gas removal near the reaction interface. A three-dimensional, two-phase, non-isothermal multiphysics model is developed and experimentally validated using a parallel flow field configuration. Numerical results indicate that the HLGFF significantly enhances mass transport and electrochemical performance, achieving a maximum current density increase of 17.72% at the same operating voltage compared with conventional flow field designs. Despite operating at higher current densities and increased heat generation, the HLGFF maintains a well-controlled temperature distribution comparable to reference configurations, reflecting effective flow-field-induced heat redistribution. These results demonstrate that the proposed design achieves a favorable balance between electrochemical performance enhancement and thermal stability, offering a promising flow field strategy for high-performance PEMWE applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":332,"journal":{"name":"International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 110597"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}