Thermal Hydraulics Overview

Principles

Definition

Thermal hydraulics is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and physics that investigates the coupled phenomena of heat transfer and fluid flow. It is crucial for understanding, designing, and optimizing systems where thermal conditions significantly influence fluid dynamics and vice versa.

Ontological type

Core Phenomena

Modeling Methods

Engineering Applications

Key developments

Key Figures

Scaling and Unified Frameworks era

Éric H. Oelkers [1] is represented in the Scaling and Unified Frameworks era by affiliations at the University of California, Berkeley [3] and Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier [4]. His notable contribution in this era centers on the SUPCRT92 [7] software package for calculating standard molal thermodynamic properties of minerals, gases, aqueous species, and reactions, which provided standardized thermophysical formulations that supported cross-geometry scaling and rapid screening. G. P. Peterson [2], with affiliations spanning Georgia Institute of Technology [5] and Texas A&M University [6], advanced scaling-oriented thermohydraulics through steady-state modeling of a micro heat pipe [8]. He also conducted an experimental investigation of a flexible bellows heat pipe for cooling discrete heat sources [9], providing empirical data that reinforced cross-geometry extrapolation in two-phase heat-transfer frameworks.

Two-Phase Benchmarks and Coupling era

Arun Muley [1] is associated with University of Cincinnati [3] and Wichita State University [4] during the Two-Phase Benchmarks and Coupling era. His key contributions include experimental study of turbulent flow heat transfer and pressure drop in a plate heat exchanger with Chevron plates [5], enhanced heat transfer characteristics of viscous liquid flows in a Chevron Plate Heat Exchanger [6], and enhanced heat transfer characteristics of single-phase flows in a plate heat exchanger with mixed Chevron plates [7], which provided essential benchmark data and validated correlations for compact heat exchangers that supported calibration of CFD and reduced-order models in this era. Raj M. Manglik [2] is affiliated with University of Cincinnati [3] during this era. His contributions center on the papers Experimental Study of Turbulent Flow Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop in a Plate Heat Exchanger With Chevron Plates [5], Enhanced Heat Transfer Characteristics of Viscous Liquid Flows in a Chevron Plate Heat Exchanger [6], and Enhanced Heat Transfer Characteristics of Single-Phase Flows in a Plate Heat Exchanger with Mixed Chevron Plates [7], delivering experimental benchmarks for turbulent heat transfer and pressure drop in plate heat exchangers and establishing validated correlations and flow characteristics that empowered integration of high-fidelity experiments with CFD and system-level coupling for two-phase thermohydraulics in this era.

Multiscale Geometry-Driven Optimization era

Yu‐Ming Chu[1] is active in the Multiscale Geometry-Driven Optimization era and is affiliated with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai[3] and Changsha University[4]. Chu[1] contributed to this era's design through the 2021 paper Enhancement in Thermal Energy and Solute Particles Using Hybrid Nanoparticles by Engaging Activation Energy and Chemical Reaction over a Parabolic Surface via Finite Element Approach[7], which leverages hybrid nanoparticles and a finite element approach on a parabolic surface to boost heat transfer and solute transport, underscoring the importance of surface-engineering strategies in multiscale optimization. Muhammad Sohail[2] is affiliated with Zhejiang University[5] and Beihang University[6]. Sohail[2] co-authored the same 2021 study on hybrid nanoparticles and parabolic surfaces via finite element methods[7], illustrating how nanoscale boost concepts feed into multiscale thermal-hydraulic optimization and aligning with the era's goals of coupled subchannel, CFD, and system-level modeling.