PapersFlow Research Brief
Heat transfer and supercritical fluids
Research Guide
What is Heat transfer and supercritical fluids?
Heat transfer and supercritical fluids is the study of heat transfer characteristics and behaviors of fluids above their critical points, such as supercritical carbon dioxide and water, in applications including aerospace propulsion, thermal management, and regenerative cooling.
This field encompasses 18,888 papers focused on experimental measurements, numerical simulations, convective heat transfer, and turbulent flows of supercritical fluids. Research addresses cooling applications in advanced aeroengines and hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. Growth rate over the past five years is not available in the provided data.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Convective Heat Transfer in Supercritical Fluids
This sub-topic studies buoyancy effects, property variations, and heat transfer deterioration near pseudocritical points. Researchers develop Nusselt number correlations for forced and mixed convection in tubes.
Turbulent Flow Modeling of Supercritical CO2
This sub-topic simulates turbulence-thermal interactions using RANS, LES, and DNS for sCO2. Researchers validate against experiments for compressor and heat exchanger applications.
Regenerative Cooling with Supercritical Hydrocarbons
This sub-topic analyzes endothermic pyrolysis, coking, and heat fluxes in rocket engine channels. Researchers model coolant decomposition coupled with heat transfer under rocket conditions.
Numerical Simulation of Supercritical Water Heat Transfer
This sub-topic develops low-Reynolds-number turbulence models for SCW in nuclear reactor cores. Researchers investigate mixed convection regimes and wall heat flux enhancement.
Experimental Measurements in Supercritical Fluid Flows
This sub-topic reports PIV, LDA, and temperature-sensitive paint data for supercritical flows. Researchers quantify sharp property gradients' effects on velocity profiles and mixing.
Why It Matters
Heat transfer and supercritical fluids enables efficient thermal management in aerospace propulsion systems through regenerative cooling methods, critical for high-performance engines. "Review of supercritical CO2 power cycle technology and current status of research and development" (Ahn et al., 2015) examines supercritical CO2 cycles for nuclear engineering, achieving higher efficiency than traditional steam cycles with power outputs suited for compact systems. These fluids support hydrocarbon pyrolysis in olefin production, as explored in related energy processes, reducing energy use in steam cracking by up to specified efficiencies in foundational studies.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow" by Hsu (1981) is the starting point due to its 15,197 citations and foundational coverage of simulation methods applicable to supercritical fluid behaviors.
Key Papers Explained
"Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow" (Hsu, 1981) establishes core simulation techniques, which connect to "Review of supercritical CO2 power cycle technology and current status of research and development" (Ahn et al., 2015) applying them to supercritical CO2 cycles. "On Turbulent Flow Near a Wall" (Van Driest, 1956) provides turbulence modeling basics relevant to convective heat transfer in channels, building toward propulsion applications. "Correlating equations for laminar and turbulent free convection from a horizontal cylinder" (Churchill and Chu, 1975) offers empirical correlations adaptable to supercritical regimes.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current work emphasizes numerical simulations of turbulent flows and regenerative cooling in aeroengines, with focus on supercritical CO2 and water. No recent preprints or news available, so frontiers remain in refining models for property variations near critical points.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | 1981 | Nuclear Science and En... | 15.2K | ✕ |
| 2 | Biofuels (alcohols and biodiesel) applications as fuels for in... | 2006 | Progress in Energy and... | 3.1K | ✕ |
| 3 | Efficiency of a Carnot engine at maximum power output | 1975 | American Journal of Ph... | 2.3K | ✕ |
| 4 | On Turbulent Flow Near a Wall | 1956 | Journal of the aeronau... | 1.9K | ✕ |
| 5 | Correlating equations for laminar and turbulent free convectio... | 1975 | International Journal ... | 1.4K | ✕ |
| 6 | Effect of biodiesel on engine performances and emissions | 2010 | Renewable and Sustaina... | 1.3K | ✕ |
| 7 | Bio-fuels from thermochemical conversion of renewable resource... | 2006 | Renewable and Sustaina... | 1.2K | ✕ |
| 8 | Olefins from conventional and heavy feedstocks: Energy use in ... | 2005 | Energy | 1.1K | ✕ |
| 9 | Review of supercritical CO2 power cycle technology and current... | 2015 | Nuclear Engineering an... | 1.1K | ✓ |
| 10 | Kinetic modeling of gasoline surrogate components and mixtures... | 2010 | Proceedings of the Com... | 1.1K | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main applications of supercritical fluids in heat transfer?
Supercritical fluids like carbon dioxide and water are used in aerospace propulsion, thermal management, and regenerative cooling for aeroengines. Numerical simulations model convective heat transfer and turbulent flows in these contexts. Experimental measurements validate cooling efficiency in high-heat environments.
How do numerical simulations contribute to this field?
"Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow" (Hsu, 1981) provides foundational methods for simulating heat transfer and fluid dynamics, cited 15,197 times. These simulations analyze supercritical fluid behaviors in turbulent flows and cooling channels. They support design of propulsion systems and pyrolysis reactors.
What role does supercritical CO2 play in power cycles?
"Review of supercritical CO2 power cycle technology and current status of research and development" (Ahn et al., 2015) details its use in nuclear engineering with 1,087 citations. Supercritical CO2 offers compact, efficient heat transfer for power generation. It outperforms steam cycles in thermal management applications.
Why is regenerative cooling important for supercritical fluids?
Regenerative cooling uses supercritical fluids to absorb heat in aeroengine channels, preventing material failure. This method leverages high convective heat transfer coefficients of supercritical states. It is essential for advanced propulsion under extreme conditions.
What fluids are commonly studied?
Carbon dioxide and water are primary supercritical fluids examined for heat transfer. Hydrocarbons appear in pyrolysis contexts. Studies cover their properties in turbulent flows and cooling applications.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can numerical models improve predictions of heat transfer deterioration in supercritical fluids under turbulent conditions?
- ? What experimental techniques best measure convective heat transfer coefficients for supercritical water in regenerative cooling channels?
- ? How do property variations near the pseudocritical point affect stability in supercritical CO2 power cycles?
- ? Which turbulence models most accurately simulate supercritical fluid flows in aerospace propulsion systems?
- ? What are the optimal conditions for minimizing energy use in hydrocarbon pyrolysis with supercritical fluids?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 18,888 works with no specified five-year growth rate.
Highly cited papers like "Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow" (Hsu, 1981, 15,197 citations) continue to underpin simulations.
No recent preprints or news reported in the last six and twelve months, respectively.
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