This book introduces new physical quantities and optimization methods for heat transfer, marking a departure from traditional heat transfer enhancement approaches that emerged in the 1970s in response to the global energy crisis. By drawing an analogy between heat conduction and electrical conduction, and through derivations from the energy conservation equation, this book presents the concept of entransy, demonstrates that it invariably decreases during spontaneous heat transfer in isolated systems, and entransy dissipation can serve as a measure of heat transfer irreversibility. On this basis, this book reveals fundamental principles for heat transfer optimization, such as the least action for heat transfer, the entransy extremum and the minimum entransy dissipation resistance. In addition, this book presents the utilization of the entransy balance equation as a global constraint for the optimization of heat transfer and thermodynamic systems, and introduces heat current models as key tools for such system analyses. This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in thermal engineering, as well as researchers working on thermal systems in fields such as architecture, electronics, aerospace, and chemical engineering.
Entropy and entransy.- Optimization Principles for Heat Conduction and
Applications.- The principle of minimum entransy resistance for convective
heat transfer and its applications.- Principle of minimum entransy resistance
for heat exchangers.- Entransy analyses of heat transfer processes with phase
change and variable thermophysical properties.- Application of entransy
analyses in heat exchange system.
Dr. Xingang Liang earned his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees in Thermophysical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, Anhui, in 1985 and 1991, respectively. Since October 1991, he has been affiliated with the Department of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University, where he has held positions as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and currently serves as a Full Professor. Additionally, Dr. Liang was a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley in 1997, and was a Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in 2006. Dr. Liang's research focuses on heat transfer enhancement, thermal system optimization, and thermal management. His specific interests encompass microscale heat conduction, single and two-phase flow and heat transfer in mini-channels, heat exchanger design, spray cooling for high-heat-flux applications, and thermal control systems for vehicles. With over 300 journal publications to his name, he has been actively involved in organizing international conferences and serving in editorial roles for several prestigious journals, including Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, Science China Technological Sciences, Heat TransferAsian Research, and Manned Spaceflight. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Second Prize of China's National Natural Science Award in 2011. Dr. Qun Chen received his B.E. degree in Thermal Engineering from Xian Jiao Tong University, Xian, Shanxi, China, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2008. From 2015, he worked as a Professor in the Department of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University. He is now a Vice President of the North China University of Technology. His honors include the Beijing Scholar title, the Wu Zhonghua Outstanding Young Scholar Award, and the National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award. He currently serves as a Standing Council Member of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics. His research primarily focuses on the isomorphic analysis and coordinated operation of integrated energy systems including electricity, heat, and hydrogen. He has led more than 10 major national-level scientific research projects, including projects of the National Key R&D Program of China, Young Scientists Fund (Category A) and Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the 863 Program. He has also led over 30 collaborative projects with enterprises such as the State Grid Corporation of China, China Huaneng Group CO., LTD., China Huadian Corporation LTD. and China Three Gorges Corporation. His research outcomes have been applied in the power dispatch control centers of several provinces power plants. He is a recipient of one Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and seven provincial and ministerial-level science and technology awards. He has published more than 180 SCI-indexed papers in journals such as Nature Communications, has been awarded as the "Highly Cited Chinese Researcher" for 12 consecutive years by Elsevier, authored two monographs, holds over 40 granted patents, and has drafted four standards. Professor Zengyuan Guo graduated from Tsinghua University, Beijing, in 1959 and has since served on the faculty of the Department of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University, progressing through the ranks from assistant professor to associate professor and eventually to full professor. He has held visiting professor positions at internationally renowned institutions, including Kyoto University, the University of Stuttgart, Michigan State University, and École Centrale de Paris. Professor Guo is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of ASME. His current research interests cover thermoelectric conversion, entansy theory, heat transfer enhancement and optimization, energy-mass duality of heat etc. He has published four monographs and over three hundred journal papers.
