Pub Date : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128519
Cheng Zhang , Yingguang Liu , Yahao Wang , Haochen Liu , Ning Wu
Optimizing thermal interface materials plays a crucial role in enhancing the heat dissipation performance of microelectronic and nanoelectronic devices. In this work, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations were employed to investigate the effect of hydrogenation modification of single-layer graphene on the interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) of gallium nitride/silicon carbide heterostructure. The findings demonstrate that the ITC of heterostructures exhibits a non-monotonic trend, initially increasing and then decreasing, with increasing hydrogenation concentration. The calculation of critical parameters such as phonon density of states, phonon participation ratio and phonon transmission function reveals that this phenomenon originates from the competition among multiple phonon transport mechanisms, including enhanced interfacial coupling on the SiC side, inelastic phonon scattering and phonon coherence. Subsequent research has demonstrated that the spatial distribution of hydrogenation configurations significantly influences ITC. At equivalent hydrogen coverage, the random hydrogenation mode results in an ITC increase of up to 34.2 % over the ordered mode. This effect is primarily attributed to the random distribution, which enhances phonon coupling between hydrogenated graphene and adjacent materials while mitigating detrimental interfacial interference. Additionally, the effect of ambient temperature on ITC has been systematically examined and quantified. This study elucidates the dominant mechanisms of phonons across different frequency bands in thermal transport at heterointerfaces and provides a theoretical basis for optimizing thermal interface materials via controllable hydrogenation.
{"title":"Effect of hydrogenated graphene on interfacial thermal transport across gallium nitride/silicon carbide heterostructures","authors":"Cheng Zhang , Yingguang Liu , Yahao Wang , Haochen Liu , Ning Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optimizing thermal interface materials plays a crucial role in enhancing the heat dissipation performance of microelectronic and nanoelectronic devices. In this work, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations were employed to investigate the effect of hydrogenation modification of single-layer graphene on the interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) of gallium nitride/silicon carbide heterostructure. The findings demonstrate that the ITC of heterostructures exhibits a non-monotonic trend, initially increasing and then decreasing, with increasing hydrogenation concentration. The calculation of critical parameters such as phonon density of states, phonon participation ratio and phonon transmission function reveals that this phenomenon originates from the competition among multiple phonon transport mechanisms, including enhanced interfacial coupling on the SiC side, inelastic phonon scattering and phonon coherence. Subsequent research has demonstrated that the spatial distribution of hydrogenation configurations significantly influences ITC. At equivalent hydrogen coverage, the random hydrogenation mode results in an ITC increase of up to 34.2 % over the ordered mode. This effect is primarily attributed to the random distribution, which enhances phonon coupling between hydrogenated graphene and adjacent materials while mitigating detrimental interfacial interference. Additionally, the effect of ambient temperature on ITC has been systematically examined and quantified. This study elucidates the dominant mechanisms of phonons across different frequency bands in thermal transport at heterointerfaces and provides a theoretical basis for optimizing thermal interface materials via controllable hydrogenation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128519"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161472","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128514
Ron S. Harnik, Herman D. Haustein
Laminar jet impingement is an efficient method for heat transfer processes, though much of its hydrodynamics and the resulting convection are still not fully understood, especially under the more complex free-surface jet configuration. The present study expands a previous work on the stagnation zone heat transfer to cover the entire wall-flow up to the hydraulic jump, for a wide variety of arriving profiles, subject to the influences of liquid properties, gravity, surface tension, flow rate and geometry of over an order of magnitude. Similarly to a previous submerged jets solution, it is shown that the shape of the arriving profile dictates the stagnation zone wall pressure distribution and radial acceleration. Uniquely for free-surface jets, wider pressure distributions (associated with “flatter” profiles) become affected by the presence of the free surface, leading to increased radial acceleration at the edge of the stagnation zone and a velocity overshoot – beyond the maximal incoming velocity. This is proposed as the mechanism for transition to supercritical flow at the edge of the stagnation zone. The analysis introduces two novel physical parameters, associated with the magnitude of the radial velocity overshoot and measure of arriving profile non-uniformity, to adapt Watson’s uniform wall-jet solution to all other incoming profiles. An interpolation between the adapted stagnation zone solution and Watson’s adapted solution is shown to capture the evolution of various flow aspects: boundary layer growth (including local thinning), free-stream velocity, wall shear, etc. Employing Reynolds analogy, the modified flow solution can be converted to the heat transfer distribution. It is shown to agree well with present and past simulations for horizontal and vertical jets. Moreover, it is seen to capture the emergence of the heat transfer off-center peak, at the edge of the stagnation zone, as well as its growth with flight distance and/or under increasing gravitational influence. The present study provides a simple tool for more efficient design and optimization of jet cooling applications.
{"title":"Unified analysis of flow and heat transfer distribution under evolved free-surface jets","authors":"Ron S. Harnik, Herman D. Haustein","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laminar jet impingement is an efficient method for heat transfer processes, though much of its hydrodynamics and the resulting convection are still not fully understood, especially under the more complex free-surface jet configuration. The present study expands a previous work on the stagnation zone heat transfer to cover the entire wall-flow up to the hydraulic jump, for a wide variety of arriving profiles, subject to the influences of liquid properties, gravity, surface tension, flow rate and geometry of over an order of magnitude. Similarly to a previous <em>submerged</em> jets solution, it is shown that the shape of the arriving profile dictates the stagnation zone wall pressure distribution and radial acceleration. Uniquely for free-surface jets, wider pressure distributions (associated with “flatter” profiles) become affected by the presence of the free surface, leading to increased radial acceleration at the edge of the stagnation zone and a velocity overshoot – beyond the maximal incoming velocity. This is proposed as the mechanism for transition to supercritical flow at the edge of the stagnation zone. The analysis introduces two novel physical parameters, associated with the magnitude of the radial velocity overshoot and measure of arriving profile non-uniformity, to adapt Watson’s uniform wall-jet solution to all other incoming profiles. An interpolation between the adapted stagnation zone solution and Watson’s adapted solution is shown to capture the evolution of various flow aspects: boundary layer growth (including local thinning), free-stream velocity, wall shear, etc. Employing Reynolds analogy, the modified flow solution can be converted to the heat transfer distribution. It is shown to agree well with present and past simulations for horizontal and vertical jets. Moreover, it is seen to capture the emergence of the heat transfer off-center peak, at the edge of the stagnation zone, as well as its growth with flight distance and/or under increasing gravitational influence. The present study provides a simple tool for more efficient design and optimization of jet cooling applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128514"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161666","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128524
Zhaoxuan Liu , Jingwei Han , Xiaohu Wu , Biao Zhang , Wenming Li
Microchannel flow boiling is an effective cooling solution for high-power density electronics. Smooth wall microchannels usually suffers from boiling crisis and local dryout. In this work, we design and fabricate porous microchannel heat sink (Length × width: 20 mm × 10 mm) by sintering copper powders to significantly enhance nucleate boiling and rewetting. However, conventional sintered porous microchannels with powder base would impose large thermal resistance (low thermal conductivity of sintered copper powder, measured as 59 W m-1 K-1). Instead, we sintered one layer copper mesh on the bottom surface to significantly reduce the thermal resistance at solid-liquid interface. With the synergistic effect of porous wall and mesh layer, the flow boiling performances can be significantly enhanced. Three different control samples, such as conventional plain wall, sintered porous microchannel with powder base and sintered porous microchannel with mesh base, are fabricated to extensively investigate flow boiling performances. High-speed images of boiling phenomena were recorded to reveal the enhanced nucleate boiling and capillary flow. Bubble dynamics and thin-film evaporation are improved as well. Optimal thermal performance is achieved in sintered mesh porous microchannels owing to the significant decrease of thermal resistance. Compared with CNC plain-wall microchannel, the sintered porous microchannels exhibit significant enhancement in nucleate boiling performance. For example, at 70 mL min-1, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is increased by about 210.3 %, while the critical heat flux (CHF) is enhanced by approximately 48.7 %. More importantly, higher heat transfer performance is achieved in the porous microchannel #2 without additional pressure drop compared to plain wall microchannel. This work provides a robust strategy for achieving highly efficient flow boiling in microchannels.
微通道流动沸腾是高功率密度电子器件的有效冷却解决方案。光滑壁微通道通常存在沸腾危机和局部干枯。在本研究中,我们设计并制作了多孔微通道散热器(长×宽:20 mm × 10 mm),通过烧结铜粉来显著增强核沸腾和再湿润。然而,传统的粉末基烧结多孔微通道会产生较大的热阻(烧结铜粉的导热系数较低,测量值为59 W m-1 K-1)。相反,我们在底部表面烧结了一层铜网,显著降低了固液界面的热阻。在多孔壁和网状层的协同作用下,流动沸腾性能得到显著提高。制备了普通平壁、粉末基烧结多孔微通道和网孔基烧结多孔微通道三种不同的对照样品,广泛研究了多孔微通道的流动沸腾性能。记录了沸腾现象的高速图像,揭示了核沸腾和毛细管流动的增强。气泡动力学和薄膜蒸发也得到了改善。由于热阻显著降低,烧结网孔微通道的热性能达到最佳。与CNC平壁微通道相比,烧结多孔微通道的成核沸腾性能显著提高。例如,在70 mL min-1时,传热系数(HTC)提高了约210.3%,临界热流密度(CHF)提高了约48.7%。更重要的是,与普通壁面微通道相比,多孔微通道#2在没有额外压降的情况下实现了更高的传热性能。这项工作为实现微通道中高效的流动沸腾提供了一个强大的策略。
{"title":"Flow boiling in sintered porous copper microchannels","authors":"Zhaoxuan Liu , Jingwei Han , Xiaohu Wu , Biao Zhang , Wenming Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microchannel flow boiling is an effective cooling solution for high-power density electronics. Smooth wall microchannels usually suffers from boiling crisis and local dryout. In this work, we design and fabricate porous microchannel heat sink (Length × width: 20 mm × 10 mm) by sintering copper powders to significantly enhance nucleate boiling and rewetting. However, conventional sintered porous microchannels with powder base would impose large thermal resistance (low thermal conductivity of sintered copper powder, measured as 59 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>). Instead, we sintered one layer copper mesh on the bottom surface to significantly reduce the thermal resistance at solid-liquid interface. With the synergistic effect of porous wall and mesh layer, the flow boiling performances can be significantly enhanced. Three different control samples, such as conventional plain wall, sintered porous microchannel with powder base and sintered porous microchannel with mesh base, are fabricated to extensively investigate flow boiling performances. High-speed images of boiling phenomena were recorded to reveal the enhanced nucleate boiling and capillary flow. Bubble dynamics and thin-film evaporation are improved as well. Optimal thermal performance is achieved in sintered mesh porous microchannels owing to the significant decrease of thermal resistance. Compared with CNC plain-wall microchannel, the sintered porous microchannels exhibit significant enhancement in nucleate boiling performance. For example, at 70 mL min<sup>-1</sup>, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is increased by about 210.3 %, while the critical heat flux (CHF) is enhanced by approximately 48.7 %. More importantly, higher heat transfer performance is achieved in the porous microchannel #2 without additional pressure drop compared to plain wall microchannel. This work provides a robust strategy for achieving highly efficient flow boiling in microchannels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128524"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161662","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}
Swift preferential water flow through macropores can rapidly pollute groundwater, spreading agricultural and industrial contaminants and threatening water security and ecosystems. To improve the simulation of pollutant transport in soil, a software package based on the kinematic–dispersive wave van Genuchten (KDW-VG) model combined with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was used to simulate preferential water flow through an unsaturated soil matrix. The KDW-VG model evolved from the KDW model, replacing the KDW model’s power-law function with the more physically robust Mualem–van Genuchten framework. However, existing models often require detailed measurements of water flux versus mobile water content, which limits their applicability under field conditions. In this research, observed data from four rainfall intensities from 55.58 to 160.49 (), were used to calibrate both the KDW and KDW-VG models. The hydrographs from a soil column with artificial macropores were recorded to calibrate both models. Using the PSO inverse method, unknown parameters were determined by minimizing the error between observed and simulated hydrographs. The finite-difference technique was used to solve both models. The results showed that the KDW-VG model fit the observations more closely, because of the replacement of the power-law function with the Mualem–van Genuchten framework. The dispersive effect was higher at lower rainfall intensities. Overall, the KDW-VG model's parameters exhibited less sensitivity to rainfall variations, which is a key advantage. This research advances computational techniques for modelling mass transfer in environmental systems, specifically addressing preferential water flow and pollutant transport. By improving the accuracy of pollutant transport models while requiring less detailed input data, the method can be applied under field conditions to provide more reliable predictions. Future work will test the model under field conditions, extend it to varied soils, and integrate realistic macropores using advanced imaging and computation.
{"title":"Parameter estimation of preferential water flow in soil using particle swarm optimization inverse method: Comparison of kinematic–dispersive wave (KDW) and KDW–van Genuchten (KDW-VG) models","authors":"Mostafa Moradzadeh , Saeed Boroomand Nasab , Hadi Moazed , Stéphane Ruy , Mohammadreza Khaledian , Javad Alavi , Ali Jamalian","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Swift preferential water flow through macropores can rapidly pollute groundwater, spreading agricultural and industrial contaminants and threatening water security and ecosystems. To improve the simulation of pollutant transport in soil, a software package based on the kinematic–dispersive wave van Genuchten (KDW-VG) model combined with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was used to simulate preferential water flow through an unsaturated soil matrix. The KDW-VG model evolved from the KDW model, replacing the KDW model’s power-law function with the more physically robust Mualem–van Genuchten framework. However, existing models often require detailed measurements of water flux versus mobile water content, which limits their applicability under field conditions. In this research, observed data from four rainfall intensities from 55.58 to 160.49 (<span><math><mrow><mrow><mtext>mm</mtext><mspace></mspace></mrow><msup><mrow><mi>h</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span>), were used to calibrate both the KDW and KDW-VG models. The hydrographs from a soil column with artificial macropores were recorded to calibrate both models. Using the PSO inverse method, unknown parameters were determined by minimizing the error between observed and simulated hydrographs. The finite-difference technique was used to solve both models. The results showed that the KDW-VG model fit the observations more closely, because of the replacement of the power-law function with the Mualem–van Genuchten framework. The dispersive effect was higher at lower rainfall intensities. Overall, the KDW-VG model's parameters exhibited less sensitivity to rainfall variations, which is a key advantage. This research advances computational techniques for modelling mass transfer in environmental systems, specifically addressing preferential water flow and pollutant transport. By improving the accuracy of pollutant transport models while requiring less detailed input data, the method can be applied under field conditions to provide more reliable predictions. Future work will test the model under field conditions, extend it to varied soils, and integrate realistic macropores using advanced imaging and computation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128458"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161670","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128518
Tingting Hao , Haochen Wang , Peiyao Zhao , Xuehu Ma , Rongfu Wen
Thermal management is becoming a challenge for many high-power electronic devices and energy systems. Oscillating heat pipes (OHPs) are highly efficient passive thermal management devices with simple structure, lightweight, and high effective thermal conductivity. Despite extensive studies on the OHPs with smooth channels, theoretical and numerical investigations of OHPs with capillary wicks remain limited. In this work, a one-dimensional numerical model is extended to investigate the OHPs with smooth channels, fully covered capillary wicks, and partially covered capillary wicks. The friction factor governing liquid slug movement is evaluated using the Colebrook-White equation to account for wick-induced surface roughness. Numerical results show that fully covered capillary wicks significantly reduce liquid slug oscillation amplitude and velocity due to increased flow resistance. In contrast, partially covered capillary wicks effectively balance the flow resistance and phase-change driving force. Compared with the OHPs with smooth channels, the liquid slug oscillation amplitude increases by 1 %∼8 % for partially covered wicks and decreases by 34 %∼49 % for fully covered wicks, while the slug velocity increases by 2 %∼6 % and decreases by 21 %∼31 %, respectively. Consequently, partially covered capillary wick OHPs exhibit superior heat transfer performance, with numerical predictions showing a 102 %∼108 % increase in heat transfer power under the same temperature difference. Experimental results further confirm this enhancement, demonstrating a 6 %∼24 % improvement in heat transfer power.
{"title":"Numerical investigation of oscillating heat pipes with smooth surface, full and partial capillary wicks","authors":"Tingting Hao , Haochen Wang , Peiyao Zhao , Xuehu Ma , Rongfu Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal management is becoming a challenge for many high-power electronic devices and energy systems. Oscillating heat pipes (OHPs) are highly efficient passive thermal management devices with simple structure, lightweight, and high effective thermal conductivity. Despite extensive studies on the OHPs with smooth channels, theoretical and numerical investigations of OHPs with capillary wicks remain limited. In this work, a one-dimensional numerical model is extended to investigate the OHPs with smooth channels, fully covered capillary wicks, and partially covered capillary wicks. The friction factor governing liquid slug movement is evaluated using the Colebrook-White equation to account for wick-induced surface roughness. Numerical results show that fully covered capillary wicks significantly reduce liquid slug oscillation amplitude and velocity due to increased flow resistance. In contrast, partially covered capillary wicks effectively balance the flow resistance and phase-change driving force. Compared with the OHPs with smooth channels, the liquid slug oscillation amplitude increases by 1 %∼8 % for partially covered wicks and decreases by 34 %∼49 % for fully covered wicks, while the slug velocity increases by 2 %∼6 % and decreases by 21 %∼31 %, respectively. Consequently, partially covered capillary wick OHPs exhibit superior heat transfer performance, with numerical predictions showing a 102 %∼108 % increase in heat transfer power under the same temperature difference. Experimental results further confirm this enhancement, demonstrating a 6 %∼24 % improvement in heat transfer power.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128518"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161720","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128427
Jiayi Zhang , Vishwanath Ganesan , Chi Wang , Vivek S. Garimella , David Chao , Nenad Miljkovic
Efficient, safe, and reliable cryogenic liquid fuel transport within in-space cryogenic propellant storage and transfer systems is critical to enable long-duration deep-space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Based on the orbital locations of these systems, the propellant transfer lines are at an elevated temperature due to radiative heating from the surroundings. Hence, for transferring liquid cryogenic propellant successfully, these transfer lines must first undergo a complete line quenching or chilldown process to prevent any undesired boil-off of the liquid fuel. This transient flow boiling process associated with line chilldown involves complex two-phase spatial and temporal thermal and hydrodynamic interactions between the propellant liquid, vapor, and transfer line wall. In the past, extensive research efforts have been devoted to elucidating the mechanisms of flow regime transition and the corresponding heat transfer behaviors during line chilldown. However, they have been limited by low spatio-temporal resolution in heat transfer measurements and limited transient responses of system hydrodynamic parameters. In this work, in-tube line chilldown experiments using n-Perfluorohexane (n-PFH) were conducted at different mass flow rates and inlet liquid subcoolings in horizontal stainless-steel tubes under terrestrial conditions. Thorough analyses on the high-fidelity experimental data, encompassing wall and fluid temperature, mass flow rate, and pressure, provide fundamental insights into the independent and combined effects of liquid subcooling and mass flow rate on the thermal and hydrodynamic responses and their associated transient flow boiling heat transfer physics. The analysis provides insights into interfacial instability induced re-wetting phenomena, quench front propagation velocities, and local heat transfer coefficients in each flow boiling regime from inverted annular film boiling to termination of nucleate boiling via the transition points of minimum heat flux and critical heat flux. Finally, two key design parameters are developed and analyzed to quantify the efficiency of the entire chilldown process through analysis of the chilldown rate and liquid consumption. This work provides a deeper understanding of the complex transient two-phase flow physics associated with the cryogenic propellant transfer process and provides valuable design and operational guidelines for safe and efficient liquid propellant transfer.
{"title":"Investigation of transient flow boiling heat transfer physics and system-level thermal-hydraulic responses during line chilldown","authors":"Jiayi Zhang , Vishwanath Ganesan , Chi Wang , Vivek S. Garimella , David Chao , Nenad Miljkovic","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128427","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128427","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efficient, safe, and reliable cryogenic liquid fuel transport within in-space cryogenic propellant storage and transfer systems is critical to enable long-duration deep-space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Based on the orbital locations of these systems, the propellant transfer lines are at an elevated temperature due to radiative heating from the surroundings. Hence, for transferring liquid cryogenic propellant successfully, these transfer lines must first undergo a complete line quenching or chilldown process to prevent any undesired boil-off of the liquid fuel. This transient flow boiling process associated with line chilldown involves complex two-phase spatial and temporal thermal and hydrodynamic interactions between the propellant liquid, vapor, and transfer line wall. In the past, extensive research efforts have been devoted to elucidating the mechanisms of flow regime transition and the corresponding heat transfer behaviors during line chilldown. However, they have been limited by low spatio-temporal resolution in heat transfer measurements and limited transient responses of system hydrodynamic parameters. In this work, in-tube line chilldown experiments using n-Perfluorohexane (n-PFH) were conducted at different mass flow rates and inlet liquid subcoolings in horizontal stainless-steel tubes under terrestrial conditions. Thorough analyses on the high-fidelity experimental data, encompassing wall and fluid temperature, mass flow rate, and pressure, provide fundamental insights into the independent and combined effects of liquid subcooling and mass flow rate on the thermal and hydrodynamic responses and their associated transient flow boiling heat transfer physics. The analysis provides insights into interfacial instability induced re-wetting phenomena, quench front propagation velocities, and local heat transfer coefficients in each flow boiling regime from inverted annular film boiling to termination of nucleate boiling via the transition points of minimum heat flux and critical heat flux. Finally, two key design parameters are developed and analyzed to quantify the efficiency of the entire chilldown process through analysis of the chilldown rate and liquid consumption. This work provides a deeper understanding of the complex transient two-phase flow physics associated with the cryogenic propellant transfer process and provides valuable design and operational guidelines for safe and efficient liquid propellant transfer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128427"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161470","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128494
Tianyi Xiayu , Yulong Li , Huaqi Lian , Jiaxin Li
With the development of space missions, the demands for heat rejection of spacecrafts keep growing, which makes a high power-mass ratio radiator a critical component. Heat pipe has advantages in light weight and high thermal conduction, hence Heat Pipe Radiator (HPR) is a conventional choice for large-power spacecrafts. In this study, a converging heat pipe radiator is proposed. This type of HPR reduces its radius along the axial direction to decrease mass. The influence of converging on pressure, temperature and power-mass ratio are studied. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to calculate the internal flow field and external radiation power. The results show that the power-mass ratio of high efficiency fin HPR rises monotonously with the decline of the converging ratio, maximum rise of 8.3%, while low efficiency fin HPR drops monotonously, maximum drop 4.7%. For the aspect of losses, slightly converged HPR have even lower pressure loss, while highly converged HPR have higher, the magnitude and direction of change depend on the heat rejection power and converging scale.
{"title":"Design and performance analysis of converging heat pipe radiator applied for astronautical thermal management","authors":"Tianyi Xiayu , Yulong Li , Huaqi Lian , Jiaxin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128494","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128494","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the development of space missions, the demands for heat rejection of spacecrafts keep growing, which makes a high power-mass ratio radiator a critical component. Heat pipe has advantages in light weight and high thermal conduction, hence Heat Pipe Radiator (HPR) is a conventional choice for large-power spacecrafts. In this study, a converging heat pipe radiator is proposed. This type of HPR reduces its radius along the axial direction to decrease mass. The influence of converging on pressure, temperature and power-mass ratio are studied. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to calculate the internal flow field and external radiation power. The results show that the power-mass ratio of high efficiency fin HPR rises monotonously with the decline of the converging ratio, maximum rise of 8.3%, while low efficiency fin HPR drops monotonously, maximum drop 4.7%. For the aspect of losses, slightly converged HPR have even lower pressure loss, while highly converged HPR have higher, the magnitude and direction of change depend on the heat rejection power and converging scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128494"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187773","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128520
Hongxin Ye , Haoxiang Huang , Xuemei Chen , Zhenyu Liu , Zhenhai Pan
In this study, the water entry of a high-temperature sphere was experimentally investigated to explore the dynamics of the inverse Leidenfrost phenomenon. During this process, oscillations were observed on the gas-liquid interface, which originated at the sphere's windward surface and propagated upward. To capture flow details that could not be obtained experimentally, a numerical model was developed by solving the complete formation of the governing equations. The numerical results matched well with the experimental data and revealed that the oscillations resulted from the collective coupling among fluid flow, heat transfer, and phase change. To further reveal the physical mechanism of these oscillations, a reduced-order theoretical model was established by employing the potential flow assumption and the Karman-Pohlhausen method. Based on mass and momentum conservation, an expression for the oscillation period of the gas-liquid interface was derived from this model. The theoretical predictions showed excellent agreement with both experimental and numerical results, validating the proposed model.
{"title":"Oscillations of the gas-liquid interface during the inverse Leidenfrost phenomenon","authors":"Hongxin Ye , Haoxiang Huang , Xuemei Chen , Zhenyu Liu , Zhenhai Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, the water entry of a high-temperature sphere was experimentally investigated to explore the dynamics of the inverse Leidenfrost phenomenon. During this process, oscillations were observed on the gas-liquid interface, which originated at the sphere's windward surface and propagated upward. To capture flow details that could not be obtained experimentally, a numerical model was developed by solving the complete formation of the governing equations. The numerical results matched well with the experimental data and revealed that the oscillations resulted from the collective coupling among fluid flow, heat transfer, and phase change. To further reveal the physical mechanism of these oscillations, a reduced-order theoretical model was established by employing the potential flow assumption and the Karman-Pohlhausen method. Based on mass and momentum conservation, an expression for the oscillation period of the gas-liquid interface was derived from this model. The theoretical predictions showed excellent agreement with both experimental and numerical results, validating the proposed model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128520"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187764","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128516
Christelle Tabbiche, Jaime Elias Gil Roca, Rahima Sidi-Boulenouar, Benjamin Maillet, Jean-Michel Pereira, Baptiste Chabot, Michel Bornert, Patrick Aimedieu, Anh Minh Tang
Freeze–thaw processes in seasonally frozen soils involve complex interactions between heat transfer, moisture migration, phase changes and mechanical deformation. While the role of clay content in influencing frost heave susceptibility is well recognised, its effect on coupled heat and moisture transfer and thaw settlement in sandy soils remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the impact of varying clay content on frost heave and thaw settlement in sandy soils, utilising Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to monitor water content profiles throughout the freeze–thaw process. Sandy soil specimens with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of clay content were prepared, fully saturated, and subjected to unidirectional freezing and thawing under controlled thermal conditions. The results show that frost heave increased from 0 mm for clean sand to a maximum of 9.1 mm at 15% clay content. Continuous MRI measurements captured the evolution of liquid water content during both freezing and thawing phases, indicating an increase in water content after a freeze-thaw cycle from 0% for clean sand to approximately 30% at 15% of clay. These findings demonstrate that clay content significantly alters moisture redistribution and coupled heat–moisture transfer mechanisms in sandy soils, providing new insights for predicting frost-related ground deformation.
{"title":"Coupled heat and moisture transfer in sandy soils observed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: effect of clay content on frost heave and thaw settlement","authors":"Christelle Tabbiche, Jaime Elias Gil Roca, Rahima Sidi-Boulenouar, Benjamin Maillet, Jean-Michel Pereira, Baptiste Chabot, Michel Bornert, Patrick Aimedieu, Anh Minh Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freeze–thaw processes in seasonally frozen soils involve complex interactions between heat transfer, moisture migration, phase changes and mechanical deformation. While the role of clay content in influencing frost heave susceptibility is well recognised, its effect on coupled heat and moisture transfer and thaw settlement in sandy soils remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the impact of varying clay content on frost heave and thaw settlement in sandy soils, utilising Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to monitor water content profiles throughout the freeze–thaw process. Sandy soil specimens with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of clay content were prepared, fully saturated, and subjected to unidirectional freezing and thawing under controlled thermal conditions. The results show that frost heave increased from 0 mm for clean sand to a maximum of 9.1 mm at 15% clay content. Continuous MRI measurements captured the evolution of liquid water content during both freezing and thawing phases, indicating an increase in water content after a freeze-thaw cycle from 0% for clean sand to approximately 30% at 15% of clay. These findings demonstrate that clay content significantly alters moisture redistribution and coupled heat–moisture transfer mechanisms in sandy soils, providing new insights for predicting frost-related ground deformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128516"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187763","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 : 2026-06-15Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128502
Yebing Tian , Chengwei Wei , Shuang Liu , Xinyu Fan , Zhiyin Wang
To clarify the mechanisms of heat dissipation and distribution in high-shear and low-pressure (HSLP) grinding using a ball-end body-armor-like abrasive tool, a theoretical temperature field model was established. Based on the HSLP grinding mechanism, the convective heat transfer coefficient was determined by integrating fluid dynamics with heat transfer theory. The influence of cutting film flow velocity on its heat dissipation capacity was revealed. A heat source model was established using the Gaussian heat source distribution. The grinding temperature was analysed in relation to spindle rotational speed, feed speed, and normal force. A comparison between the analytical model and numerical simulation was conducted, followed by experimental validation, which confirmed the model's accuracy. The results indicated that the trends predicted by the theoretical analysis were consistent with those observed in finite element simulations and experimental measurements. Specifically, the theoretical grinding temperature was found to increase with spindle rotational speed, decrease with higher feed rates, and rise with increasing normal force. The theoretical analysis yielded an average error of 4.97%, demonstrating the model's reliability. This study advanced the theoretical understanding of thermal behavior in HSLP grinding.
{"title":"Theoretical modeling, simulation and experimental validation of high-shear and low-pressure grinding heat using ball-end body-armor-like abrasive tool","authors":"Yebing Tian , Chengwei Wei , Shuang Liu , Xinyu Fan , Zhiyin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.128502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To clarify the mechanisms of heat dissipation and distribution in high-shear and low-pressure (HSLP) grinding using a ball-end body-armor-like abrasive tool, a theoretical temperature field model was established. Based on the HSLP grinding mechanism, the convective heat transfer coefficient was determined by integrating fluid dynamics with heat transfer theory. The influence of cutting film flow velocity on its heat dissipation capacity was revealed. A heat source model was established using the Gaussian heat source distribution. The grinding temperature was analysed in relation to spindle rotational speed, feed speed, and normal force. A comparison between the analytical model and numerical simulation was conducted, followed by experimental validation, which confirmed the model's accuracy. The results indicated that the trends predicted by the theoretical analysis were consistent with those observed in finite element simulations and experimental measurements. Specifically, the theoretical grinding temperature was found to increase with spindle rotational speed, decrease with higher feed rates, and rise with increasing normal force. The theoretical analysis yielded an average error of 4.97%, demonstrating the model's reliability. This study advanced the theoretical understanding of thermal behavior in HSLP grinding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":336,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer","volume":"261 ","pages":"Article 128502"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161659","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}