Thermal Engineering: Energy Conversion, Numerical Simulation, and Advanced Control

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 1354

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
Interests: passive ecotechnologies; CFD; energy sustainability

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
Interests: heat and mass transfer; phase change material; absorption cooling system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
Interests: fiber optic sensors; automatic control; advanced electronics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy efficiency is an important topic for improving any kind of energy conversion to achieve the sustainability goal. This involves several benefits, such as reducing greenhouse gases, saving money, and saving energy and resources, among others. The development of robust simulations and modeling will help us to find new kinds of alternatives to improve the actual plants or processes that could be implemented.

The modeling and optimization of various thermal engineering processes involve energy conversion phenomena that require numerical simulation and the application of advanced control techniques and methodologies.

This Special issue aims to compile theoretical, numerical, and experimental research and review articles with novel findings that can contribute significantly to the scientific community. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The development of models and numerical simulations to predict the behavior of energy conversion systems under various operating conditions;
  • Simulation of possible advanced control scenarios and application of specialty software or AI tools to improve the energy efficiency of various applied engineering processes;
  • Solutions applicable to various processes, improving sustainability, and reducing negative energy impact;
  • Contributions related to new design approaches and materials that can optimize control and energy conversion efficiency in systems;
  • Mathematical models that show the behavior of the processes or new thermodynamic power cycles that improve processes;
  • Modern control systems in continuous or discontinuous processes.

Dr. Moisés Montiel-González
Dr. Jesus Cerezo
Dr. Miguel Ángel Basurto-Pensado
Guest Editors

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

  • computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  • energy efficiency
  • AI tools
  • thermal systems
  • sustainability
  • materials
  • mathematical model

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 12764 KiB  
Article
Theoretical and Numerical Investigation on Heat Transfer from Vulcanization Presses Containers
by Richard Lenhard, Katarína Kaduchová, Adam Miča and Milan Malcho
Processes 2025, 13(4), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13040963 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 205
Abstract
In the tire manufacturing process, rubber compounds are vulcanized in volcanic presses. The vulcanization technology is carried out at temperatures above 150 °C, i.e., at a temperature potential that causes heat losses if the containers are not sufficiently insulated. The paper describes the [...] Read more.
In the tire manufacturing process, rubber compounds are vulcanized in volcanic presses. The vulcanization technology is carried out at temperatures above 150 °C, i.e., at a temperature potential that causes heat losses if the containers are not sufficiently insulated. The paper describes the mathematical model developed to detect the heat fluxes from the container walls to the surroundings. The calculation is carried out strictly in the SI system. With the help of the developed model, the back-relations of heat losses through the vertical and horizontal walls of the container enclosure were obtained as a function of the thickness of the insulation without and with a radiation shield on the inside of the enclosure. Numerical modeling using the finite volume method was used to verify the results obtained. In the numerical simulation, a 2D and a 3D model were created, and the same input conditions as in the mathematical model were simulated. Using the obtained results, an energy-energy balance of the tire vulcanization technology was performed by comparing the heat loss fraction as a function of the external temperature of the container cover and as a function of the insulation thickness. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5837 KiB  
Article
Closed-Loop Solar Tracking Control Strategy to Correct Drift in a CPV System Using Image Processing
by Héctor González-Camarillo, Carlos A. Pérez-Rábago, Ramiro Calleja-Valdez, Ricardo Arturo Pérez-Enciso, Rafael García-Gutiérrez, Claudio A. Estrada-Gasca and Yuridiana R. Galindo-Luna
Processes 2025, 13(4), 944; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13040944 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 573
Abstract
Tracking the apparent movement of the sun with high precision is crucial in dual-axis tracking systems for solar concentration applications. It is important to develop control strategies to reduce losses by solar radiation displacement (drift) on the receiver and improve the solar concentration [...] Read more.
Tracking the apparent movement of the sun with high precision is crucial in dual-axis tracking systems for solar concentration applications. It is important to develop control strategies to reduce losses by solar radiation displacement (drift) on the receiver and improve the solar concentration system. In concentrated photovoltaics, a high-precision tracking control is required to keep the concentration point. This paper compares open-loop and closed-loop solar tracking control strategies to solve drift problems and correct azimuth and elevation angles in a non-image reflective FRESNEL solar concentrator. The open-loop strategy consists of a programming code to calculate the apparent sun position, sending command signals to the actuator systems in azimuth and elevation tracker axes. In the open-loop strategy, the actual position of the sun is not verified. A closed-loop strategy with a visual monitoring device is proposed here to detect the sun’s position in real time. This can be simultaneously compared with a fixed reference to evaluate drift through time, calculate the generated error, and send feedback signals to correct azimuth and elevation angles. With this configuration, displacement containment of the solar point concentration projection was ±0.00215 m in the azimuth direction and ±0.0027 m in the elevation direction on the receiver. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop