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Processes
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Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes
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Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 3414

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Cesar Nieto-Londoño

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín 050031, Colombia
Interests: renewable energies; waste heat recovery; reacting flows; sustainability; engineering education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. William Quitiaquez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Escuela de Ingenierías, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Quito, Ecuador
Interests: numerical simulation; solar PV systems; multiphase flows

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The numerical simulation of fluid dynamics and thermal transport is fundamental to industrial advancement, technological innovation, and the design of sustainable solutions. It facilitates the modeling of intricate physical phenomena, optimizing industrial processes, and developing advanced devices such as high-efficiency heat exchangers and sustainable energy systems. This discipline utilizes advanced computational approaches, including finite volume and finite element techniques and machine learning integration, alongside commercial software and proprietary tools, enabling researchers and engineers to tackle contemporary difficulties with accuracy and flexibility.

This Special Issue will showcase innovative research highlighting the capabilities of numerical simulation in providing insights into flow and heat transport phenomena. The contributions are anticipated to encompass fundamental studies and applied research, illustrating how improved simulations will persist in fostering creativity, guiding design, and aiding decision-making across a range of engineering difficulties. By bridging emerging theoretical advancements with practical applications, this collection seeks to demonstrate the crucial role of numerical in enabling sustainable solutions in a rapidly evolving world.

The potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Numerical simulation of turbulent reacting flows in combustion systems;
  2. Computational modeling of combustion processes for clean and alternative fuels;
  3. Fluid–structure interaction analysis incorporating multi-physics and multi-scale approaches;
  4. Heat transfer enhancement using nanofluids in microchannel heat sink applications;
  5. Advanced modeling techniques for fluid flow and heat transfer in porous media systems;
  6. Development of next-generation turbulence models for high-reynolds-number and unsteady flows;
  7. Hybrid computational techniques for multiscale and multiphysics simulation challenges;
  8. Integration of machine learning for accelerated and enhanced flow and heat transfer simulations.

Prof. Dr. Cesar Nieto-Londoño
Guest Editor

Dr. William Quitiaquez
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • turbulent reacting flows
  • combustion and clean fuels
  • fluid–structure interaction with multi-physics and multi-scale models
  • nanofluids in microchannel heat sinks
  • applications in porous media
  • advancements in turbulence modeling
  • hybrid numerical methods
  • machine learning integration

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3913 KiB  
Article
Thermal Management Design for the Be Target of an Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy System Using Numerical Simulations with Boiling Heat Transfer Models
by Bo-Jun Lu, Yuh-Ming Ferng, Tzung-Yi Lin, Cheng-Ji Lu and Wei-Lin Chen
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1929; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061929 - 18 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1126
Abstract
Recently, studies on accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) systems for cancer treatment have attracted the attention of researchers around the world. A neutron source can be obtained through the impingement of high-intensity proton beams emitted from the accelerator onto the target. This [...] Read more.
Recently, studies on accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) systems for cancer treatment have attracted the attention of researchers around the world. A neutron source can be obtained through the impingement of high-intensity proton beams emitted from the accelerator onto the target. This process would deposit a large amount of heat within this target. A thermal management system design is needed for AB-BNCT systems to prevent the degradation of the target due to thermal/mechanical loading. However, there are few studies that investigate this topic. In this paper, a cooling channel with a boiling heat transfer mechanism is numerically designed for thermal management in order to remove heat deposited in the Be target of the AB-BNCT system of Heron Neutron Medical Corp. A three-dimensional (3D) CFD methodology with a two-fluid model and an RPI wall boiling model is developed to investigate its availability. Two subcooled boiling experiments from previous works are adopted to validate the present CFD boiling model. This validated model can be confidently applied to assist in thermal management design for the AB-BNCT system. Based on the simulation results under the typical operating conditions of the AB-BNCT system set by Heron Neutron Medical Corp., the present coolant channel employing the boiling heat transfer mechanism can efficiently remove the heat deposited in the Be target, as well as maintain its integrity during long-term operation. In addition, compared with the channel with the single-phase convection traditionally designed for an AB-BNCT system, the boiling heat transfer mechanism can result in a lower peak temperature in the Be target and its corresponding deformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes)
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20 pages, 3774 KiB  
Article
Optimization of the TPMS Heat Exchanger Toward Cooling the Heat Sink
by Mohamad Ziad Saghir, Mahsa Hajialibabaei and Oraib Al-Ketan
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1786; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061786 - 5 Jun 2025
Viewed by 417
Abstract
The subject of the current paper is cooling heat sinks using the TPMS structure. An experiment was conducted using water and a mixture of 10% vol. ethylene glycol in water, which was used to cool heat sinks in the presence of the TPMS [...] Read more.
The subject of the current paper is cooling heat sinks using the TPMS structure. An experiment was conducted using water and a mixture of 10% vol. ethylene glycol in water, which was used to cool heat sinks in the presence of the TPMS structure. The gyroid was developed using 3D printing with three different porosities: 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9, respectively. The shell network is a single domain, and fluid is circulated at various flow rates. A comparison with the numerical model, as simulated using COMSOL software (version 6.2), showed good agreement. A uniform temperature distribution is a clear indication of uniform cooling. Then, the TPMS structure is changed from one domain to two unconnected domains, and a different flow rate is applied to each domain entry. This approach is unique in that it investigates the cooling of the heat sink with a two-domain structure, which has not been previously studied. The novelty of this paper lies in utilizing two TPMS structure domains to cool the heat sink. Thus, dual-domain TPMS heat sinks are implemented and optimized with separate inlets. Statistical testing of the model for the Nusselt number and the performance evaluation criterion is performed using Fisher’s statistical test to analyze variance (ANOVA). It was found that the cooling heat sink is more accurate with two-domain systems. The average Nusselt number polynomial is found to vary linearly with the two-inlet velocity, the porosity and the fluid Prandtl number. Similar linearity is found for the performance evaluation criterion. The optimum Nusselt number equals 77, the PEC equals 49 for a porosity of 0.85, and the Prandtl number is 36.9. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes)
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24 pages, 8414 KiB  
Article
Aerodynamic Characteristics of Typical Operating Conditions and the Impact of Inlet Flow Non-Uniformity in a Multi-Stage Transonic Axial Compressor
by Dong Jiang, Huadong Li, Chongyang Liu, Yang Hu, Yongbo Li, Yunfei Yan and Chenghua Zhang
Processes 2025, 13(5), 1428; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13051428 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 331
Abstract
Multi-stage axial compressors play a crucial role in aerospace propulsion systems, as their exit flow field characteristics directly impact engine performance and stability. This study conducted numerical simulations on the first 3.5 stages of the NASA 74A transonic multi-stage axial compressor to analyze [...] Read more.
Multi-stage axial compressors play a crucial role in aerospace propulsion systems, as their exit flow field characteristics directly impact engine performance and stability. This study conducted numerical simulations on the first 3.5 stages of the NASA 74A transonic multi-stage axial compressor to analyze the exit flow field characteristics under different typical operating conditions. The research primarily investigated airflow deflection angle, radial velocity distribution, and their variation patterns. Additionally, the effects of inlet airflow angle and pressure variations on the exit flow field under non-uniform inlet conditions were examined in detail. The results indicate that at 68% rotational speed, the exit flow field of the NASA 74A compressor deteriorates significantly, with noticeable changes in distribution patterns. For the other four operating conditions, as the rotational speed decreases, both velocity and airflow angle exhibit a positive correlation with rotational speed. Compared to the design condition, peak velocity decreases by 2%, 3.7%, and 7%, while airflow deflection angle changes remain within 3°. Under non-uniform inlet conditions, when the inlet airflow angle decreases from 90° to 70°, variations in peak and average exit velocities remain within 2%, and the changes in peak and average airflow deflection angles are within 1%. However, when the inlet airflow angle decreases from 90° to 70°, the curve of the airflow deflection angle exhibits a leftward shift, with a deviation of 2.6%. Meanwhile, changes in inlet pressure under non-uniform conditions have a relatively minor impact on the overall flow field but significantly affect local distributions. When the inlet pressure increases from 1 atm to 1.05 atm, peak velocity increases by 0.98%, and average velocity rises by 3%. The maximum velocity difference reaches 6%, while the average airflow deflection angle differs by 0.7%, with a maximum deviation of 1.9°. Overall, the compressor exit flow field undergoes significant variations under different operating conditions, with increased flow instability at lower rotational speeds leading to flow separation, low-energy fluid accumulation, and non-uniform pressure distribution. In contrast, non-uniform inlet conditions have a relatively minor effect on the overall flow field but induce noticeable local changes, providing theoretical insights for compressor design optimization and performance evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes)
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23 pages, 16880 KiB  
Article
Numerical Assessment of the Combustion of Methane–Hydrogen–Air Mixtures in Micro-Scale Conditions
by César Nieto-Londoño, Wilber Silva-López and Natalia Gómez-Velásquez
Processes 2025, 13(3), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13030794 - 9 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1011
Abstract
Methane–hydrogen–air mixtures present a viable alternative to conventional fuels, reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining high energy density. This study numerically investigates their combustion characteristics in millimeter-scale reactors, focusing on flame stabilisation and combustion dynamics in confined spaces. A species transport model with [...] Read more.
Methane–hydrogen–air mixtures present a viable alternative to conventional fuels, reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining high energy density. This study numerically investigates their combustion characteristics in millimeter-scale reactors, focusing on flame stabilisation and combustion dynamics in confined spaces. A species transport model with volumetric reactions incorporated a detailed kinetic mechanism with 16 species and 41 reactions. The simulations employed a laminar flow model, second-order upwind discretisation, and SIMPLE algorithm for pressure–velocity coupling. The key parameters analysed include equivalence ratio, hydrogen volume fraction, inlet velocity, and gas pressure and their impact on fuel conversion efficiency and heat release was evaluated. The results indicate that hydrogen enrichment enhances flame stability and combustion efficiency, with optimal performance over 40% hydrogen content. Additionally, increased outlet pressure raises flame temperature by 15%, while larger reactor diameters reduce heat losses, improving combustion efficiency by 20%. Emissions of CO decrease significantly at higher hydrogen fractions, demonstrating the potential for cleaner combustion. These findings support the integration of methane–hydrogen mixtures into sustainable energy systems, providing insights for designing efficient, low-emission micro-combustors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Processes)
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