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Review of recent advancing pool boiling heat transfer through surface engineering

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Yuheng
  • Chen, Guopeng
  • Du, Kai
  • Li, Shuo
  • Liu, Junhao
  • Chen, Fengxiang
  • Jiang, Xingchi
  • McHale, Glen
  • Xie, Shangzhen

Abstract

The advent of artificial intelligence and advanced next-generation electronics has propelled the rise of ultra-dense data centers and compact, high-power devices, intensifying the global demand for advanced thermal management solutions. Boiling heat transfer, a phase-change-driven cooling strategy, offers unparalleled potential to address escalating heat flux challenges while enhancing energy-water efficiency. Recent innovations in surface engineering have redefined passive enhancement paradigms, revealing novel boiling phenomena and mechanistic insights into nucleation control, bubble dynamics, and liquid-vapor phase interactions. This review systematically surveys transformative surface design strategies across three dimensions: (1) bubble dynamics regulation via micro/nanotextured surfaces that tailor nucleation site density and departure kinetics; (2) liquid supply optimization through capillary-engineered or wettability-gradient surfaces to delay critical heat flux thresholds; and (3) hybrid-gradient architectures synergizing multi-scale geometries, heterogeneous materials, and bioinspired systems to reconcile conflicting enhancement pathways. We critically assess fabrication methodologies and their mechanistic links to heat transfer performance, integrating experimental, theoretical, and application advances. By contextualizing these innovations within the energy-water nexus, this review highlights their role in reducing coolant demand, enabling reduced energy consumption, and supporting decarbonized industrial systems. This review aims to galvanize interdisciplinary research into scalable, durable surface technologies that harmonize thermal efficiency with planetary sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Yuheng & Chen, Guopeng & Du, Kai & Li, Shuo & Liu, Junhao & Chen, Fengxiang & Jiang, Xingchi & McHale, Glen & Xie, Shangzhen, 2026. "Review of recent advancing pool boiling heat transfer through surface engineering," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:230:y:2026:i:c:s136403212600033x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2026.116734
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    References listed on IDEAS

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